


When It Comes To You

by ALRiter



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Blindness, Bottom Kakashi, Boys Love - Freeform, Hatake Kakashi - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, I promise, Iruka - Freeform, Iruka Umino - Freeform, Kakashi - Freeform, Kakashi Hatake - Freeform, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Romance, Slice of Life, Slowmance, Switch Iruka, Top Kakashi, Yaoi, hurt comfort, i apologize ahead of time for the sobfest towards the end, it won't end sad though, kakairu - Freeform, naruto - Freeform, ninken - Freeform, powerbottom iruka, silver lining, switch kakashi, top iruka, umino iruka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2018-06-07 09:16:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 38,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6798058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALRiter/pseuds/ALRiter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iruka gets an injury that leaves him blind, Kakashi offers a ninken as a service dog, and also helps Iruka get back on his feet since suddenly becoming blind is a gigantic learning curve, not to mention an emotional rollercoaster.... etc.... Romance comes in later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a slow build plot, but as I am incredibly ADD I may just speed things up if I feel impatient. Haha......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Memo! 
> 
> If you read chapters 11 and 12 PRIOR to May 29th 2017, you will need to re-read parts of them due to an adjustment I did to a bit of plot and phrasing.... It was completely necessary and I apologize if this confused anyone!
> 
> If you are a new reader you can just ignore this message as it is mainly for readers who may have been around during the first publishing of those two chapters.
> 
> Happy reading!!!
> 
>  
> 
> If you have questions, comments, critiques, or supportive words to offer, I could really use them!
> 
> And again... I love and appreciate all of you. P.S. if anyone feels inspired to do fanart for my fic, I would love to see them! AND would totally feature them here and/or on my Tumblr! I have a pretty decent fan base that I can use to support my supporters! I'd love to give back in any way possible!
> 
> Thanks again!!! I'll update soon!
> 
> ALRiter/ALRtist
> 
> \-------
> 
> Chapters that have been updated:  
> Chapter 11 - on 5/29/17  
> Chapter 12 - on 5/29/17

It wasn’t like it happened in some lavish way that was fitting of a Shinobi. In fact, the truth of the whole situation only made Iruka feel worse. And now he had so much more to deal with than just the fact of the matter that now he was blind, and unfit to be an active Shinobi of the Leaf Village.

Now, when he went to sleep in the dark, he woke to darkness, and when he felt the sun on his skin he could no longer see it, and every shadow he sat in under a tree was only greatened by the infinite darkness he sat in.

One who sees nothing but darkness, can quickly find themselves thinking nothing but dark thoughts.

Iruka felt so very alone during those first months of pitch black. And all the people eager and willing to help, in fact, did not help him to feel less lonely. All aside from the tiny shining bit of hope that came when a visitor came to knock upon Iruka’s apartment door about 3 months after the accident.

“Who is it?” Iruka asked as he stood and felt his way to the door.

“Um, it’s me… Kakashi. I was wondering if we could talk for a minute. If it’s not too much trouble for you Iruka sensei.” Came the calm inquiring words.

A click was heard as the door cracked open revealing a slightly disheveled Iruka, and he stepped back to allow Kakashi to enter. “I’m not a teacher anymore Kakashi san, you don’t have to address me as such.”

“Maa, you can’t really mean that, can you? You didn’t also get amnesia from the accident did you? Once a teacher, always a teacher in my book.” Kakashi stepped forward noticing the lack of lighting as soon as he stepped into the younger teachers living quarters. “Not that I can’t manage, but do you mind if I turn on a light, Iruka Sensei?” Kakashi asked as he turned to face Iruka, who still stood still by the door.

“Oh, yeah… sorry. I don’t really need lights anymore. I didn’t even think about that. I’m sorry Kakashi Sensei…” Came the sullen reply as he worked his hand along the wall searching for the light switch. Just what Iruka needed, more reminders of what he’s lost…

“No need to apologize. I bet your electricity bill has improved.” Kakashi smiled slightly as the light flicked on above his head. Reminding him what he came here for in the first place.

“I guess it has, I haven’t really noticed since Tsunade has taken over paying for most of my living expenses.” Iruka was listening to Kakashi’s steps as he walked … somewhere… across his living room towards… the window? It was difficult still to map in his head people, and distances, and directions. He really hated this. He could feel his frustration growing, and so the sooner he could be alone again, the faster he could go back to feeling less self conscious about his blindness. “So what was it you wished to talk to me about Kakashi? Something about Naruto, or…?” Iruka trailed off, allowing Kakashi to fill in the blanks himself.

“Well, I was initially out of the village on a mission when the accident happened. So when I returned and heard the news about what happened, I had a thought that I wanted to run by you. And after thinking it over I was wondering if you might like to pick out one of my Ninken as a service dog? It might make daily life easier, and restore some sense of normalcy in your life, sensei.”

Iruka didn’t really know how to respond. It was a fine line between feeling thankful to those trying to help and also battling with a feeling of helplessness that made his current predicament feel all the more dire. He was never the best ninja in their village, by any means, but he had been a teacher, and had played a role in the clockworks that was their village, and home. But now, now all Iruka was was… what?  
Iruka didn’t even know what his role in the village was anymore. 

“I don’t know Kakashi… I don’t even have my daily routine established yet. I can’t even read Braille yet, let alone walk around my own home without falling over… I wouldn’t know where to start even if I DID have one of your dogs to help me.” Iruka slowly started feeling along the wall towards the middle of the living room, hoping to find his sofa so he could sit down instead of standing idly against the wall. Even standing required careful thought as to not lose his balance.

Speaking of balance, and falling in his home, suddenly Iruka felt his footing shift a bit too slanted and had to think fast before becoming more closely acquainted with his hardwood flooring.

Kakashi saw the wobble and had begun to step forward to help, but seeing Iruka manage to regain his footing was reassuring to Kakashi that the man wasn’t giving up on himself. But the few steps he had taken just in case had not escaped the chunnins well hearing eardrums.  
“It’s okay. I got it.” Iruka said hurriedly as he steadied himself on the sofa armrest. Then noticing his sharp tone cleared his throat as he sat on the sofa. “Thank you for your concern, Kakashi Sensei, sorry to trouble you.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the stubborn ninja. “No trouble. So, anyway, I really should get going, but give me a call should you like to look at my dogs.” Kakashi instantly regretted his word choice. And winced at his own blunder. 

“Yeah… I’ll think about it.” Iruka said quietly.

Perhaps Iruka had missed the remark, or simply wasn’t showing any reaction to the mistake. Because Kakashi heard no hint of malice in the teachers words, only quiet contemplation.

Then Iruka started to stand up. To which Kakashi sprung to action, beginning his walk across the room and gently touched Iruka’s shoulder to let him know he was there. “It’s okay Iruka, I can see myself out. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me.”

Iruka noted how he could feel the rough snag of dry skin on Kakashi’s fingertips as it brushed against his black turtleneck top, and how the smell of his metal and leather gloves wafted next to his face. What sense he lacked in sight, he now made up for in smell and touch and hearing. Not all was lost, he supposed. There were new things to discover about the world he lived in now that one of his primary senses was eliminated.

As the door clicked shut after Kakashi’s exit, Iruka lost himself in thought about the odd suggestion. He knew he was managing all right, and some even suggested he was learning incredibly fast. Still, even if he could manage on his own, perhaps a dog would at least be good company…


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ramen, some comedy, and you get to meet Karuba the ninken. :) also, this chapter is about double as long as the last one. yay inspiration and tea to spur me on!!!

A few days later, Iruka’s life hadn’t changed much. It all looked the same. Or rather, the lack of looking hadn’t changed. But it was jarring how sometimes he could sense his surroundings via sound and he was able to picture things that he used to be able to see.  
Such as when he had to re-learn how to make tea. 

The clink of his cup and saucer made him picture its cream coloured porcelain lined with gold. And when he lifted the tea pots cover to smell if the contents were ready, he could picture the darkness or lightness of the tea depending on the strength of the smell. And his sense of touch, oh, how sometimes he marveled at the texture of things he never used to think twice about. Rough walls, and sticky countertops, the grass under his feet, and the softness of warm laundry… and he even could distinguish between different types of paper depending on the grain of the fibers. 

He had, in some ways, been given an entirely new world all at his literal fingertips. On this particular morning, Iruka sat on his front stoop sipping his Darjeeling tea as he felt the lifting sun’s heat as it neared…. Close to noon? It was still difficult to tell. He had gotten slightly used to using the village’s hustle and bustle to judge the time of day. When the birds began to sing it was still just before sunrise, and when the neighbors alarm blared it was 6 am. He could actually hear it through the walls. He hadn’t been able to hear through them before. Not without the use of his chakra, or some intense concentration.

The whole day could be mapped out from start to finish completely by sounds. Yet before he had gone blind, each day seemed different and unpredictable in many ways. Now, now it just seemed like each day was the same. Wake up, breakfast, practice Braille, do household chores, walk around, sit around, listen to the radio to kill the silence, wait endlessly for nightfall, and TRY to get to sleep when everyone else was supposed to be. When all you had was darkness, your sleep ‘schedule’ was anything but that. He had often found himself either sleeping too much, or too little, or at the wrong times…

He in fact needed a routine. And as hard as he tried to keep his usual routines in check, it was difficult. It was when he had his sight, and now it was even more difficult…

Perhaps he should locate Kakashi today and arrange a meeting with the dogs. It would at least be a way to kill some time. And to ask about Naruto.

\--  
The next morning, Kakashi strolled into the mission assignment room scratching his head and sighed deeply before stepping up to the desk which now lacked one very particular pony tailed chunnin. This was admittedly a very big reason why it was less fun to visit the mission desk. Who was Kakashi supposed to pick on now? And who else was supposed to pester him about one blonde headed ball of trouble?

“Anything actually interesting for me today?” Kakashi asked in a rough monotone drawl. He was so very tired of the repetitive missions he had been getting recently. Not to mention that he was just plain tired in general.

“Well, I don’t know if it counts as interesting but the Hokage left you this letter…” The shy mission desk worker stated and gingerly handed Kakashi the note. “She said to give this to you and let you take care of any other missions after you’ve taken care of this matter.” Then the desk worker turned to look back at his books and left Kakashi alone with his note.

Kakashi waited until he was alone in the hallway to open the note. The message read as follows:

“Kakashi,  
Iruka stopped by here yesterday. It took him awhile to get here, and by the time he had arrived it was quite late in the afternoon. He asked if you were around. And since you weren’t he asked me to write down a message for you. He would like to speak to you about meeting your ninken in order to possibly pick out one of them to be his service dog. Please don’t mess this up. I can tell he needs the help, but he’s just so stubborn. Try to be accommodating, you dope.

Tsunade.”

Kakashi was surprised by the reply from Iruka coming through the Hokage herself, but he supposed she has been helping him though much of his adjustments in life due to his blindness. Therefore, it made sense that she would help him write the note. It’s not like Iruka would ask just anyone to write the letter. It was… personal. And he understood why Iruka was being discreet about who he asked for help. He had his dignity. And he was still a shinobi, whether Iruka wanted to call himself one still or not.

He sighed and folded the letter and slid it into his pocket, deciding to pay the stubborn chunin an ‘accommodating’ visit.

\--

This might just be the more nerve wracking 'mission' Kakashi had had yet. Of all the trials and tribulations he had faced over his years, not to mention his ANBU years… This took the cake, simply because it was so incredibly difficult to see a fellow shinobi suffer an injury that forces them to retire from active duty.

And he realized this as he walked up to Iruka’s house and the lonely teacher sat upon his front stoop with the saddest most blank stare he had seen since looking in the mirror. He knew that look. He would get that look some days, when he would think about the people he’s lost, the comrades, his family… And to see that expression on the face of a friend and fellow nin. That was just too sad a sight to see. So with a smile and a happy tone to his voice, Kakashi announced his presence to the oblivious sensei.

“Iruka sensei, I got your note. I hope it’s okay that I stopped by. I didn’t know how I should otherwise get a hold of you.”

Iruka turned his gaze towards Kakashi’s voice, and the vacant expression melted from his face into a softer one that seemed to grant his tense shoulders a bit more relaxation. “Kakashi san, of course, please, come in. I was just enjoying the weather. Would you like something to drink?”

“Only if it’s no trouble for you. Thank you.” Kakashi said as he followed Iruka up the white wooden steps to the door. It was a quaint narrow apartment scrunched between two other buildings. It had two levels, and an upper balcony that overlooked the main road on his quiet street. A southern facing house with a lovely view of a grassy park lawn across the way. No wonder the sensei picked this place; he could be close to the familiar sounds of the school, and the children he taught each day. Or that he used to teach, now that he was no longer teaching… perhaps he would in some way go back to teaching once he had his life a bit more back in order.

Kakashi closed the door behind himself as he entered the small first level of Iruka’s home. He watched the sensei feel along the wall and flip on the light with little trouble now, and then took two calculated steps to the left until his hand made contact with the wall leading down a hall straight ahead. “The kitchen is ahead on the left.” Iruka said and started walking, counting the steps underneath his breath. 7 steps total and then his hand snaked around the doorway into the kitchen. Kakashi followed close behind observing quietly as Iruka made his way to his cabinets and pulled out two white coffee mugs. “Is coffee okay? Otherwise I have tea, if you’d prefer that.” Iruka used his pinky to cushion the descent of the mugs onto the countertop. 

“Coffee would be wonderful. I didn’t have time to make any this morning before heading out.” Kakashi’s eye closed into a happy crescent.  
“Oh? What time is it now?” Iruka asked. He was curious, as unless he used his Braille clock he couldn’t tell. But going to read the clock all the time was a pain. Not to mention that time never moved as quickly as Iruka wanted it to. Being blind was definitely grating on his productive personality.

“It’s about quarter after 11. Would you like to perhaps get lunch instead, Iruka sensei?” Maybe that would be easier, he didn’t want the chunin to go out of his way to make him coffee. Kakashi was here to hopefully make Iruka’s life easier, not more difficult. Tsunade’s words echoed in his head just then ‘be accommodating, accommodating, accom-‘ Well, he was trying to make things easier, but he also didn’t want to make Iruka feel coddled either. He was indeed stubborn. This situation required finesse.

Iruka paused and looked towards Kakashi’s direction. “I suppose I could go for some lunch then. I haven’t had breakfast yet…” And with that it was decided that they would go out to eat and discuss the details over lunch.

\--

“Honestly, I don’t know what to expect anymore. Naruto’s not even here right now and you STILL pick to eat ramen. You must have damaged your brain more than your eyes, sensei.” Kakashi ogled the teacher with a miffed gaze as Kakashi helped guide Iruka to the stool.  
“Well, it’s easy to eat since I’ve had it so many times that I could eat it with my eyes closed… and this is basically like having my eyes closed.” Iruka replied and placed his hands on the countertop to get his bearings. 

Kakashi settled on the seat to the left of Iruka and raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the logic of Iruka’s choice of dining locale. “I guess that makes sense then.”

“Hey there Iruka sensei, welcome!” Teuchi greeted charismatically and also nodded at Kakashi who gave a small wave and his iconic crescent eyed smile. 

“Hello Teuchi san, I’ll have my usual please. Kakashi, what are you getting?” Iruka asked and smiled. Which caught Kakashi off guard because the teacher’s smiles had become less frequent in the past months.

“Uh, I don’t really mind, maybe shoyu with pork, enoki, and scallions. Thanks Teuchi.” Kakashi placed his order and then turned to Iruka who was still staring at him. “Something on my face sensei?” Kakashi mused and let out a light chuckle to let the man know he was joking.  
“Haha, very funny. You know I can still throw a punch, right, Kakashi san?” Iruka scoffed and shook his head in wonder at how the man could joke to him so lightly. It was odd for someone to be so casual around him. These days it always seemed like people tip toed around him. Not quite sure what to say, or how to help. It was a bit refreshing. 

“I’m sure you can, and that’s precisely why I think you shouldn’t give up on teaching.” He knew he kept bringing it up, but what fate awaited Konoha’s academic youths without its best teacher to train them up right?

Iruka was silent. His mouth opened, but Iruka seemed to rethink his argument, and simply let it drain back into his deeper thoughts as he turned away from the silver haired nin’s gaze. “It’s not like I wanted to stop teaching, ya know…” And just like that Kakashi knew maybe that was a raw subject at the moment. Luckily two bowls of ramen came thudding down onto the table as Teuchi grinned brightly and gave Kakashi a very warning glare. Apparently Teuchi had a protective side when it came to his favourite customers. Yellow top included.  
Kakashi knew when to let sleeping dogs lie.

Throughout dinner the two remained rather quiet, aside from the content slurping of noodles. Kakashi was indeed impressed by the fluidity and accuracy with which Iruka ate his ramen. The sensei must have indeed eaten here thousands of times over the years. And blindness had no place at Iruka’s dinner table when it came to ramen. And any hesitation Kakashi had previously held in his assessment of the stubborn chunins capabilities to overcome his blindness was quickly kicked out the door as the last drop of broth was expertly sucked from the bowl with a contented sigh.

“Well that was impressive by anyone’s standards, Iruka sensei.” Kakashi said with raised brow. And set his chopsticks on the edge of his completed bowl.

“And you’re shocked by this, Kakashi san? And here I thought a shinobi of your caliber would have a more restrained use of the word ‘impressive’. It’s just ramen. I can at least manage to stuff my face just like any other person in this village.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Kakashi shrugged and scratched his masked cheek. “Well, in any case, maybe now that we have eaten we could discuss the matter addressed in the letter I received.”

“Yes, of course…” Iruka said a bit meekly and scratched his scarred nose. “I was wondering if I could maybe at least meet a few of the dogs available, to see if I ‘click’ with any of them.”

“Well, I do have a few in mind. Would you like to meet them now?” Kakashi asked and smiled brightly.

“N-now?!” Iruka stammered. And quite frankly the shade of slightly redder tan that Iruka’s face became was almost comic worthy. Kakashi chuckled.

“Well, if that’s too soon then-“

“No, it’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting you to be so… prepared, is all.” Iruka corrected and his face adjusted back to its usual mocha colour.

“Me? Not prepared? Maa. Sensei, I’m hurt. You really think so low of me, an elite jounin renowned for his successes?” Maybe he was going overboard on the self praise a little bit, but it was worth it to see the chunin react so delightfully awkward.

Not that Kakashi got to notice the blush that painted the tan face again seeing as the only thing Kakashi saw next was a fist flying at his face.

\--

“Maa, you didn’t have to hit so hard, Iruka sensei. I think a little love tap would have made your point perfectly clear.” Kakashi said through a swollen cheek.

“Hey, you were the one gloating about how ‘prepared’ you are all the time. Prepared my ass, you were wide open. Even a blind man could see that.” Iruka even smiled a little at his own joke. He really shouldn’t make jokes at his own expense, but it was equally as damaging to Kakashi’s pride. Iruka did a mental fist pump as they walked along the dirt road towards Kakashi’s place.

Kakashi rolled his eyes and clutched the ice pack to his face as they walked. The ninken better not mention this tussle to anyone. Or he would be having dog meat in his next bowl of ramen.

“Well, we’re here.” Kakashi announced as they walked up to the Hatake estate. He guided Iruka around the back of the large house and made his way towards the back yard. He whistled and Iruka winced at the frequency that seemed louder than necessary to his sensitive ears. Then he heard it, the thundering paws and the slowly growing murmur of ninken voices announcing the stampede of four legged fuzz balls. 

“Kakashi’s home!” “Kakashi sensei!!” “I’m so hungry! Please feed us!” “Kakashi tell Pakkun that he..” “Kakashi don’t listen to him he’s” “Kakashi! Who’s this?” “Did you bring us treats?”

“Woah, woah, hold on you guys. Settle down, one at a time. Haha.” Kakashi crouched down to greet each of the happy slobbering faces.  
Iruka could only imagine the sight. Which only made him grin wider. Then he felt a wet snout nudge his hand.

“Oh, who’s this? Kakashi? Who’s nuzzling me?” Iruka asked as he curled his hand around to pet the fuzzy head.

“Oh, ah, that’s Karuba. He’s one of the ninken I thought might make a good companion for you.” Kakashi said as he looked over at the happily wagging golden retriever who seemed very pleased to be getting attention. “Karuba, meet Iruka. Iruka, Karuba.” Kakashi grinned as it seemed like a good start to the two meeting.

Iruka knelt down and smiled brightly as he rubbed behind Karuba’s ears. “Hey Karuba, nice to meet you. I’m Iruka. Hey, Kakashi, what kind of dog is he?” 

“I’m a retriever. Nice to meet cha’ Iruka sensei.” Karuba said for himself as he slurped his excess saliva back into his mouth before sharing some with Iruka’s cheek.

“A GOLDEN retriever.” Kakashi added and then let the two continue their introductions.

“Oh. Wow, sorry. I didn’t know all of Kakashi’s ninken could talk. Ahah. You’re big!” Iruka said as he stood back up and measured Karuba’s height against his hip. “I like that I can still reach you when I’m standing up.” Iruka noted aloud and then sat back down and Karuba quickly took the chance to lay in Iruka’s lap for some more pettin’.

If the gigantic grins on both their faces wasn’t enough proof already, the next words from Iruka’s mouth were.

“He’s perfect.”

And with a fountain of elated laughter and golden retriever kisses Iruka had found his shining companion of hope for the long dark road ahead of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading up to this point so far! Please leave me comments if you want to help keep my energy up to keep writing, your encouragement means the world to me! *bows*
> 
> Also, editing corrections if noticed are very much appreciated! I do my best but I don't always notice things.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka, Karuba, and Kakashi check in with Tsunade to update her on Iruka's choice of service ninken. The three of them are tasked with a 'special mission' to help Iruka adjust to his life, and Iruka shows some more of that fiery temper we all know and love.

“So you found yourself a service dog. I’m happy for your Iruka sensei, it’s a big step forward.” A quaint smile found its way onto the Fifth Hokage’s painted lips. Then a small crease found its way in between her brow. “You know, a dog is a big responsibility, service dog or not.”

“Yes, Hokage sama, I know.” Iruka responded as he rubbed Karuba’s head, who sat at his side as they stood in the large office at the Hokage’s headquarters.

Then with a slurp of saliva Karuba began to speak his piece. “You know, I’m not just a dog, OR a service dog Tsunade Hokage sama. I’m a Ninken, and one of Kakashi’s Ninken at that. We’re trained differently, and I come highly qualified. And besides, even if anything should happen-“

“Even if anything happens, Karuba has a hotline straight to ME, Hokage sama. I can send help, or provide it myself should I be available.” Kakashi swooped in to clarify.

“Listen here brat. I know full well that Karuba is trustworthy, but we all know that even with all the help he can get, Iruka sensei will still face an unknowable future of hurdles that he figuratively and literally cannot see. So, I just want everyone to be clear about the fact that Karuba isn’t the cure all to Iruka’s blindness, nor is Karuba the one I’ll hold responsible should anything happen to Iruka sensei. That weight will ultimately fall on you, yourself Iruka sensei. We can’t save you from everything. And because I know you to be the highly capable chunin that you are, I expect you already know this and have hopefully kept that in mind while making this decision. Am I correct?” She took a long breath of air after the lengthy reply, and waited while the words sunk into the tangible silence like a tight rope walker carefully balancing on a wire.

And then it snapped under the curt step of the chunin's reply.

“Yes, Hokage sama. I understand.” Iruka stated, slowly, but confidently.

Sure it hurt a little to hear the raw facts laid out that indeed even with Karuba to help him, that there would always be new hurdles, and more challenges to come in the days and years… ahead. But that’s no different than for any other seeing person anyway. So in that way, Iruka’s life was no better or worse than anyone else’s. 

‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ were just subjective viewpoints, and at this stage in the game, those kind of thoughts would only hinder his progress. He needed to focus on his own life, and how to make it…. Functional again. He could worry about ‘good’ and ‘happy’ later.

“Good. I’m glad to hear it. Now, with the reality check out of the way, I want to suggest something that I think would be beneficial to your little two-nin-plus-a-dog unit.” She smiled and leaned forward in her chair, her arms braced on the desk and her well endowed chest just distracting enough to cause one Icha Icha loving jounin’s gaze to slide down from her eyes, a notch lower, just briefly. He was consistent to his character, if anything. 

“Oh Iruka, It’s moments like these where I’m soooo glad I have my sight still intact.” Kakashi said and turned to grin at the exceptionally confused sensei.

“Eh?” Iruka replied and an eyebrow twisted in thought.

“Boobs, Iruka sensei. He means boobs.” Karuba said, and then lifted a paw to scratch behind his slightly scarred left ear as if the comment was nothing too unexpected to be coming from a dog.

Tsunade’s eye twitched and a small snap could be heard through the thick wood of the desk, but luckily for Kakashi, she still needed the jounin in one relatively whole piece to aide in the suggestion she had next to offer.

“I’ll overlook that lewd comment since the source is already a lost cause, and unfortunately the best qualified to look after, continue to train, and check in on Iruka sensei and Karuba on a weekly basis.” Tsunade sat back in her chair and folded her green coat over her bosom a bit neater.

“Oh?” Came the reply from both the male shinobi’s standing before her.

“Yes. I would like you, Kakashi to make sure that Karuba’s daily necessities are still provided for, and for you to initially care for Karuba as if he were still under your care, at least until you and Iruka can iron out a daily routine that works for both Iruka sensei, and Karuba. I’m not just going to make Iruka figure this all out on his own! I have Iruka’s mental health to look out for as well. And besides, YOU were the one who suggested this in the first place, Kakashi.”

“Well, so long as I don’t get sent off on any longterm missions. I-“ Kakashi started but then was cut short.

“There won’t be. I’ve put a pause on all the missions that may take you away from the Leaf Village for the next month. At which time I want you three to report back here to me and inform me of what progress, or problems you have encountered through this process. And unless something goes horribly awry, I expect the three of you to handle it. Is that clear?” Tsunade’s iron fist was metaphorically slamming down the hammer, and it made the hairs on all three shaggy necks stand up a bit. This was indeed a mission for the three of them. And no matter the unconventional terms of the mission, they were expected to handle it as honourable shinobi. So with respectful bows, and agreeable silence the three took their leave.

Once out of the Hokage’s office, the three let out simultaneously held breaths of tense air from their lungs.

“To be honest, I’m GLAD, I couldn’t see that. Did she LOOK as intimidating as she sounded, Kakashi?” Iruka asked as a drip of sweat slid an inch or two down his brow.

“Most definitely.” Kakashi said. His eyes still slightly bugged out from the stern look he had felt on his back as he left the office of one of the three most renowned Sannin’s of the leaf village.

Iruka chuckled and covered his mouth. And Kakashi took a glance at the teacher’s face. Happy to see the man smiling still after all he has went through recently.

“Well, I suppose we could get started now then, if you’d like, Iruka sensei?” Kakashi proposed as he tapped Iruka’s shoulder briefly before offering his arm when they approached the stairs leading down to the street. “We’re at the stairs. Need a hand?”

“Uh, yeah, but let me get a hand on Karuba too, It’s good to practice.” Iruka shifted his stance and then patted his hand on his thigh to signal for Karuba to heal. Karuba rounded to Iruka’s left side and sat down. 

“I’m here Iruka sensei. And the step in just in front of you about a foot away.” Karuba nuzzled his snout into Iruka’s palm to help him get his bearings.

“Okay, thanks. First things first, we need to get you a harness with something I can hang onto. Or I’m going to be spending more time on all fours than you Karuba.” Iruka mused as he took a secure hold on Karuba’s neck scruff.

Just then Kakashi burst out into laughter. “Hahaha, now that would be a sight to see. Iruka sensei, are you meaning to tell me that I’ve already missed out on seeing you crawling around helplessly on all fours? Say it isn’t so!”

“OF COURSE NOT YOU JERK! I ONLY MEANT THAT- URG! YOU’LL BE THE ONE CRAWLING ON ALL FOURS AFTER I GET DONE WITH YOU!” Iruka practically exploded, and with a small yipe from Karuba when the hold on his scruff became a bit too tight for comfort, Iruka seemed to simmer back to a slow boil and his face returned to a shade more fitting of a tan chunin than a tomato. 

Then, with an embarrassed huff Iruka started forward after shaking his arm off of Kakashi’s. “Come on Karuba. We don’t need HIS help. Only thing he’s thinking about is when he can get back to his regular missions...” Iruka’s voice became fainter as his steps plodded down the stairs. Then just before the sensei fell out of earshot Kakashi could hear one more parting remark: “OR HIS PORN!!!” and having left the jounin now slightly deaf in one ear, Kakashi was left to briefly puzzle over the many layers of personality that had just peeled off one layer after the other from the tanned ex school teacher. That may was a mystery… So then after regaining some of his senses, Kakashi started briskly after the pair.

“Maa, you don’t really mean that, do you, Iruka sensei? Hey! Wait for me! Tsunade will kill us both if you get hurt! …. Good grief… It’s like he went from sensei, to spoiled brat in .2 seconds flat…..”

“I HEARD THAT YOU JERK!!!!!” Iruka’s voice echoed up the stairs.

“And part well hearing hound apparently… Oy… This is going to be a lonnnng month ahead for me…” Kakashi mused to himself as he wandered with heavy laden steps down the stairs. But it certainly wouldn’t be boring, that was for sure. 

And with a mask hidden smirk, Kakashi put a bit more speed under his steps to catch up to the hot headed chunin and his hound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me so far. I kind of hit a funk yesterday. I wanted to write but work really stressed me out. (Not that you care, or asked, but I do work in a medical field, saving lives... and sometimes there are risks... Well, anyways I can't go into details for confidentiality reasons, but it was a tough day. Not every day is good news unfortunately...)
> 
> Anyways, if you could really support me and encourage me I will do my best to write more this weekend because there are some REALLY great scenes I have planned for the next chapters... Please help me have the strength and energy to try and crank them out for you this weekend. 
> 
> I won't give up on this story. I promise. <3 Please stick with me, your support means a LOT.
> 
> Also, if you haven't seen my tumblr I do a lot of KAKAIRU fanart, much relating to this story, so if you want visual aides, haha, check them out here: http://alrtist.tumblr.com/


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karuba and Iruka spend some time talking alone as they walk back to the house where Kakashi is waiting for them.
> 
> tender momentssssss!

The jangle of the newly purchased canine harness made Iruka feel at ease. And the streets seemed a bit easier to navigate now that Karuba was leading him along. Kakashi had departed shortly after buying the supplies to go ahead of them with the large load of dog food, toys, dog bed, etc… The list of things needed to keep a dog shocked Iruka a bit, but the fact that Karuba wasn’t just any dog, but a talking Ninken, made things seem a bit less like having a dog, and a bit more like having a kid. Albeit a slobbering, deep voiced, helpful ‘kid’. But a kind of kid none the less.

As Iruka heard the familiar sound of the academy play area he paused. “Karuba, can we rest here a minute. There should be a swing nearby that I can sit on. Over by the school.”

“Swing…. A swing…. A ha.” Karuba looked around. “Found it. It’s over this way Iruka sensei. Follow me.” Karuba turned to his left and gently pulled Iruka in the correct direction of the swing that Naruto used to sit on, back in the day. So much had changed since then…  
Iruka reached out and found the ropes and carefully lowered himself to sit on the old wooden plank. No need to add a splintered butt to his list of troubles. “I miss it here…” Iruka said, reminiscing over his many years of teaching. It seemed like so much time had already passed since he last saw konohamaru, and the rest of the young ones. But really it had only been a few months. School was long over for the day, but amidst Iruka’s thoughts he could hear the faint memory of laughter, and pranks gone awry. And he wondered if he would ever be able to teach those wonderful children ever again. Probably not, he thought with a sad smirk. Those kids were so wily that a blind teacher was an easy target for a bunch of antsy youngsters with little else on their minds but causing trouble.

“Iruka sensei… are you all right?” Karuba said and nudged his wet nose under Iruka’s tightly clenched hands. A small whine left his muzzle, his scarred left ear folding back a bit.

Iruka sniffed back the welling emotions and rubbed Karuba’s head. “Yeah, I just miss teaching is all. Not to mention just being an active shinobi. Not that I went on a whole lot of missions, but I still want to do my part as a member of the Leaf Village. And now that I’m blind, I’m not really sure how to do that.” Iruka thought aloud as he confided in his new companion.

“Well, maybe now that you have me we can figure something out, ey? Iruka sensei.” Karuba said and began to lick Iruka’s hands.  
“Haha. Yeah, we can try. Speaking of having you… there’s something else I want you to have, Karuba.” Iruka said and reached behind his head.

“Oh? What is it Iruka sensei? I don’t really need anything else.” Karuba said and sat back on his haunches, a slight wiggle of anticipation reaching the end of his tail none the less.

“I want you to have this…” Iruka said and untied his hitai-ate. A simple gesture, with so much meaning. The last time he gave his own headband away was when he gave it to Naruto. This time it was symbolic of placing his trust in Karuba. “You are going to be my eyes now Karuba. And I’m sure you will help me in far more ways than we can even imagine. I don’t know how hard the road is ahead, but regardless, you are most definitely already dear to me. I’m so glad that I decided to accept Kakashi’s offer. And I couldn’t be happier that it was you that came to me. Thank you, Karuba.” Iruka’s smile reached widely on his face and his eyes though closed seemed happy. And from where Karuba sat he saw Iruka was far stronger than he gave himself credit for. And when Karuba’s new master leaned forward to wrap his tan arms around his fuzzy neck, Karuba nuzzled his snout against Iruka’s shoulder and sighed deeply.

“Thank you Iruka sensei. I will do everything I can to help you. I promise on this headband that you hold so dear.” When Iruka sat back up a small tear was on his cheek, but a stealthy swipe of the back of his palm disposed of the evidence quickly as he took in a deep breath before standing up. 

“Should we head the rest of the way home now Karuba? I’m sure that Kakashi sensei is waiting. And we have much to organize at home.”

“Sure.” Karuba said and circled next to Iruka’s left side brushing up along Iruka’s dangling hand. He really was the perfect height for Iruka. “By the way, Iruka sensei… I noticed something. This school smells just like you.”

Iruka was too shocked to speak. Apparently Karuba’s keen sense of smell had picked up on his scent. And the strange fact left Iruka wondering if all the years of teaching hadn’t just rubbed off on him, but him on the school itself as well. Hearing that made Iruka’s teaching spirit flare.

“Heh, well I’ll be damned… I never would have thought a school could smell like a teacher. Karuba, we’ve got work to do. I know now that no matter what, I want… no I NEED to be a teacher again. And I’m certain with yours and Kakashi sensei’s help, that I can do it. That’s going to be out goal from now on, okay?” Iruka spoke confidently.

Karuba let out a hardy bark. “Rodger that Iruka sensei. You’re a teacher through and through. I’m sure we’ll find a way to get you back into teaching really soon!”

“Wonderful, now… let’s go home and get some supper started. I’m starving!” Iruka stated as his stomach growled in mock reply to Karuba’s bark.

Little did they know that much was in store for them back at Iruka’s house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this 'chapter' is so short!!! I's currently 8am, and I am super tired even though I can't sleep. I have horrible insomnia sometimes. This week has been hell. Anyway, I look forward to writing the next chapter when I have some time later. I NEED SLEEP. 
> 
> By the way, the response I've gotten on this fic has really touched me deeply. My heart is so happy. And I really am honoured and humbled to have so many people reading my fanfic...
> 
> I will do my best to write this story well. Please bear with me!!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi gets friendly advice from Iruka's neighbour lady, and a nearly dropped flower vase leads to Kakashi and Iruka cooking muffins?!?!

Kakashi sat upon the front stoop of the narrow white house. It was mostly quiet in the neighborhood, aside from the older woman tending to her flowerbeds with the garden hose. Kakashi cast a sidelong glance at the white haired woman. Her spectacles hardly seemed to be of use with how her happy wrinkled eyes squinted as she administered an almost overbearing dose of TLC to her petalled friends. Kakashi’s eyes crept into a happier, less bored look as he literally stopped to admire the smell of the roses.

No wonder Iruka always smelled fragrant.

Kakashi turned back to his orange book. The obnoxious Icha Icha title blaring his most notable hobby to all whoever passed him. But before he could really sink his teeth into the plot the old woman paused her relentless spray and approached the fence between the two yards.

“I take it you’re a friend of Iruka sensei’s?” She said in a very predictable kind old lady voice.

“More like a colleague, but yes. What might I do for you, ma’am?” Kakashi replied as he folded his book closed and looked up at the stout little woman.

“Well you see, Iruka sensei used to always compliment me on my flowers… and I would always bring him some as a gift. But since the accident, well, I haven’t seen him much. I didn’t want to intrude during this difficult time for him. But I’m sure… even now, that he may like the smell of them. So I was wondering if you might take these and put them in a vase for him. You don’t have to say who they are from. Unless he asks.” 

The woman held out a bouquet of some of the more sweetly smelling fragrant flowers. She clearly put effort in to pick ones that had distinct aromas. Kakashi stood and walked down the steps to the walkway and crossed the grass over to the white fence between them. Then as Kakashi took the flowers she touched the back of Kakashi’s hand and looked up into his eyes. “It seems he must be doing better since I’ve seen him leaving the house more often this week. I wonder if maybe you are too modest in thinking of yourself as a colleague, Kakashi sensei. Because this is the best I’ve seen him in months. Please do whatever you can for Iruka sensei… sometimes I look out and I see him on the porch. Just sitting there, face as blank as a board.” 

The woman gestured towards the empty porch. And Kakashi could almost picture the sight of the sad teacher sitting there, clutching his tea that had long since grown cold. Then the woman continued, pulling Kakashi from his thoughts. “And he seems so lost. He’s lost a part of himself along with that sight of his. Please help him find whatever it is that he’s lost. Konoha has lost far too many shinobi, and Iruka is still very much alive, and so YOUNG still. He simply must find his passion again, and then his life will get back on track. He just needs a helping hand…” She said and curled her stubby fingers into a gentle fist and then sighed before patting Kakashi’s bewildered cheek. 

“…Hmm… or a helping paw.” Kakashi mused and then noticed Iruka in the distance walking with Karuba towards the house.

"Pardon?" She inquired when she didn't quite understand the reference.

“Oh nothing, Thank you ma’am. I will make sure to put these in some water right away. I’m sure Iruka will love them.” Kakashi’s eyes smiled into little crescents and he bowed before turning back to head into Iruka’s home.

\--

Karuba sniffed the air as they made their way along the last few bricks leading to Iruka’s porch. “Kakashi sensei is already inside. The first stair is just two steps ahead of you Iruka sensei.” Karuba slowed and allowed Iruka to feel ahead of himself for the railing.

“Okay. Thank you Karuba.” Iruka said and smiled a bit. He was glad to be home. He was rather exhausted from the happenings of his long day out. It was much harder to muster the stamina to walk around now that he had to concentrate so hard. Had to count every step, and remember how many until ‘here’ and how many until ‘there’. Not to mention if he had a nickel for every time he stubbed his toes or hit his head he would be rich! 

“You know, you don’t have to thank me every time, Iruka sensei. I will be helping you a lot and it goes without saying that I know you appreciate my help. But if you really feel like thanking me, I could really go for a treat. I’m starving.”

“Me too. I- I mean, I’m starving too. Not that I want a dog treat.” Iruka clarified and shook his head at himself. He could really be silly sometimes.

“Door knob is in front of you.” Karuba said as he halted.

“Th-“ Iruka paused, then sighed. He couldn’t help it. He was raised to be proper. And pleases and thank you’s were something he had drilled into his head as much as he had drilled it into his student’s heads as well.

Karuba snorted amusedly. And they both stepped into the house. “Kakashi sensei, we’re back.” Iruka reached for the light and found that it had already been turned on. Good. He had hoped that the copy nin would have made himself comfortable instead of sitting in the dark. 

“I’m in the kitchen.” Kakashi said from around the corner. And Iruka and Karuba plodded forward, the sliding of Iruka’s hand could be heard against the grey-blue wallpaper. As Iruka rounded the corner into the kitchen, it was like Kakashi had two dogs now instead of one, because nearly simultaneously both Karuba AND Iruka began to sniff the air. “Kakashi? What’s that smell? Is it…. Food? Wait.. no… I know that smell…” 

Karuba zeroed in on the vase in the middle of the oak kitchen table. “They’re flowers Iruka sensei.” The bouquet was full of mingling fragrances: pure white lilies of the valley, red roses, pink sweet peas, and purple lilacs. The colours were as pleasing as the scents.  
Iruka’s eyebrows scrunched together in thought. Then with a gasp he turned his head to face the general direction of the old lady’s house.

“…. Rize sama?” Iruka muttered under his breath.

“Maa? Is that her name? I forgot to ask. Your neighbor lady gave them to me to give to you. She seemed determined to do so without you knowing who gifted them to you, but I suspected you’d find out one way or another.” Then a quiet pause settled between them. Then a low chuckle came from the tanned sensei as he stepped forward to touch the table’s edge and feel towards the scent of the flowers. 

“Of course it was her, she always brings me flowers. But these are the first in months. I’m sure she’s been worried about me. In her own way… I should thank her in person tomorrow. I’ll make her some muff-“ Iruka halted…. He couldn’t make her muffins… he was worthless in the kitchen making anything more complex than his tea. Iruka’s fingertips faltered mid motion at the troubling thought and as his fingers met the edge of the vase, he flinched and the vase toppled just slightly before giving in to gravity and began to fall.

“OH NO!” Iruka gasped and began to try and reach in his personal darkness for the falling flower vase. The faint sound of whooshing air could have been heard, if not for Iruka’s focus being aimed at the current flowers in distress. Luckily his worries were stilled as his fingers bumped into the warm knuckles of the pale jounin instead of the cold clear glass of the now safe vase. Iruka let out a deep sigh of relief. 

“Thank kami.”

“Maa, that was a close one. Would you like me to help you, Iruka sensei?” Kakashi asked curiously as he placed the vase back in the middle of the white doily in the center of the table.

“I think I can find them fine now, thank you Kakashi sen-“

“I meant the muffins.” Corrected Kakashi and looked down at Karuba with a wink of his grey eye. Karuba rolled his amber brown eyes, but remained beside his two masters.

“The what? Oh! Um, well… I mean-” Iruka stammered unsure of what to say as the image of Kakashi cooking in an apron covered in flour forced its way into his mind. Was the infamous copy-nin even any good at cooking?

Almost in reply to the teachers puzzled thoughts Kakashi continued, “No need to be so afraid. I DO know how to cook. I’m sure muffin’s will be a piece of cake.” Kakashi added in with a smug chuckle.

“I’m not sure if that was supposed to be a baking pun or not, Kakashi san, but it was terrible, besides, I don’t think muffins are exactly classified as cake in the first place, and furthermore-“ Iruka was seconds from going all teacher and no fun, and Kakashi wasn’t going to stand there for half an hour listening to Iruka prattle on about the different categories of cakes, and other baked goods. So to promply put and end to that quickly escalating monologue, Kakashi placed a single finger against Iruka’s moving lips, shushing him with the kindest of pleas.

“Iruka, just say yes and let me help you bake the fucking muffins.” Kakashi said in the most monotone of monotones and let out a heaving sigh as the surprised face of the school teacher deflated into that of a shushed and shocked expression lined with a sprinkle of blushing embarrassment. And with a sigh of Iruka’s own, a dangle of brown hair fluttered above his brow for a moment as the lecture fizzled out before it had even begun.

\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! this chapter was nearly 2,000 words... longer than the last, and almost as long and the longest chapter. I'll try to keep them around 3000 words or more if I can!!!
> 
> Also the next chapter is gonna be bonkers. I can feel it already and I haven't even written it yet!!! things to expect: Karuba is gonna get covered in flour, Iruka will regret his choice in baking companion, and Kakashi will probably be suffocated with flour or pummelled by a rolling pin before the next chapter even gets rolling... (pun intended)
> 
> haha, enjoy the wait!! just kidding! I won't make you wait too long!! I promise!!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka get's comforted by Karuba, and Kakashi gets to see Iruka have a good laugh.

After a few hours of Iruka and Kakashi more or less arranging Karuba’s things in convenient places around the house, Kakashi said his farewells and departed for the evening. Iruka waved from the porch with Karuba sitting next to him and after a little while they went back inside. The summer night air was refreshing and still warm from the heat of day. And he felt his way around to the living room window and opened it. Letting in the fresh breeze that brought in the smell of grass, leaves, and the sound of crickets serenading the dark. Iruka’s darkness was even blacker though, and as Iruka fetched his cup of tea from the kitchen that Kakashi had made for him before he left, he settled into his maroon armchair and slouched low as he listened to the sounds of the night. 

Karuba grabbed an old tennis ball and spun around in the dog bed situated to the left of Iruka’s favourite chair and lay down to gnaw on the slobbery old thing. Iruka and Karuba sat in silence for awhile. Then through the symphony of insects Iruka broke the silence with a large sigh. “Oh Kami, what a day!” He rubbed the stiff muscles knotted in his shoulder and rolled his head from side to side.

“You said it!” Karuba said in muffled agreement from around the fringes of the mutilated tennis ball.

And for a good while the two of them sat silently, listening to the night as Iruka sipped his tea, and Karuba gnawed his ball. Finally after they both felt sleep tugging at their consciousness, they prepared for bed, Iruka changing into a navy blue set of pajamas with white lines and took out his hair tie and shook his hair down before crawling into bed. “Good night, Karuba!” Iruka called out loudly so Karuba could hear him from the other room where he lay in his doggy bed.

“Good night, Iruka sensei!” Karuba replied and curled up in a ball on his bed and lay his head down to sleep.

The thing about being blind is that sleep not only is hard to come by in a timely fashion, but sleep itself is an odd experience. Most notably that it took him forever to fall asleep…. So that night, after the sun had long since set, and Iruka lay there in bed, crickets sang their tune to the waning moon, and birds slept on their branches, fluffed and warm. After some time, Iruka finally fell into a fitful sleep. All was still, and calm, that is until Iruka awoke screaming.

Iruka’s blindness happened to him later in life, and so his dreams still appeared to him visually. Unfortunately these were never pleasant dreams. After the accident, he began having horrible, vivid night terrors of himself reliving the accident that rendered him blind. The first few times he had the nightmare was while he was still in the hospital, and the nurses had rushed in when he had begun screaming. 

The worst part was that he knew what was happening, he saw the attack coming, he knew that he was going to become blind, and he knew he was dreaming, but despite that, as his sight was ripped away in the dream, he would awake in terror, and be back in pitch darkness. 

THAT… was the worst part. The fact that the only things Iruka could see anymore was of himself reliving the horror of what had happened to him. And he would wake up…… in the dark. 

Every. Single. Day. 

For the rest of his life.

So as Iruka jolted upright screaming and thrashing around at invisible threats, Karuba came running his paws tapping on the floor moments later. “IRUKA?!?! Are you alright? What happened?!?” Karuba jumped up onto the bed and placed his muzzle under Iruka’s hand so he could find him. Iruka mearly gasped for air, clutching his other hand to his chest, and began to shakily pet Karuba’s neck as Karuba licked Iruka’s face, wiping away his tears.

“Ah…. I…..it…. a nightmare….” Iruka stammered, his mind a racing jumbled mess from the fright.

“I understand, you don’t have to explain any more unless you want to. I’m here for you, Iruka sensei. I’ll lay right here.” Karuba said and lowered himself onto the blankets.

“T-thank you… I.. I can’t see… I just.. I won’t see ever again, and I just….” Iruka faded off, bending forward clutching at Karuba’s furry neck, sobs shaking his whole body. Karuba could smell the tears, and feel his heart thrumming away at lightning’s pace. Iruka’s tears soaked into Karuba’s fur as Karuba nuzzled Iruka’s shoulder back. They both shifted into a more comfortable ball of twisted blankets and limbs until Iruka’s gasps of incoherent sobs faded into a more even state of breathing, and upon such exhaustion Iruka fell back into an exhausted but thankfully dreamless dark sleep.

As much as Iruka’s blindness terrified him, at least dark dreamless sleep was better than horrible night terrors for dreams.

\----

When morning eventually came, Iruka woke as the city noises grew too loud for his subconscious to ignore. He rolled over, prying his stiff arm from around Karuba’s body and leaned back, stretching his body and blinking his unseeing eyes slowly, the crusted tears irritating his puffy eyes. He hissed at the pain of his tender eyelids, not to mention his throat felt dryer than Gaara’s gourd, and he had a massive headache. 

Upon his master awaking, Karuba turned his head and began licking Iruka’s face. His tongue felt nice as it took away the dry tears that had settled on his cheeks. “Good morning Iruka sensei. How are you feeling?”

“Uuuugh…. I feel gross.” Iruka muttered, his voice raspy and quiet. “Thank you for coming to my aide last night, I have nightmares a lot….” He said and ran his hand through his messy dark brown hair.

“Hey, that’s what I’m here for, Iruka-san. I’m glad to be here so you don’t have to go through this alone.”

“Yeah…. Oh, hey, can you tell what time it is?” Iruka asked extending his arms a bit, stretching his tired body.

Karuba looked around, but he only clock on Iruka’s wall was stopped, no doubt the power run down or unplugged. But luckily Karuba could tell the approximate time by the sounds and smells of the village. “Uh, the clock’s dead, but I think it’s about 10 am based on the goings on in town that I can smell and hear.”

“Crap… I slept in again…” Iruka muttered and rolled over, dangling his legs off the bed searching for his slippers with his toes.

“Well, you needed the sleep. Yesterday was a long, busy day. And today Kakashi will be coming by to help you bake.” Karuba sat up and scratched behind his ear before leaping down from the bed and shaking out his fur. He was very happy at how he smelled a bit like Iruka’s home now. It made him feel like he was also becoming a part of Iruka’s home as well.

“Yeah, I know he is.” Iruka said as he tried to walk a bit too quickly to the door. But this at least Iruka managed rather well. Mostly because even when he had his sight he stumbled out of his room in the middle of the night quite often to use the restroom. So it came second natural to him. “That’s why I need to get going because we need to shop for some baking supplies first!” Iruka made his way to the bathroom and relieved himself, while Karuba equally made his way out of the doggy door to answer the call of nature. Once Karuba returned to the house he brought over his harness and dropped it on Iruka’s bed as Iruka got into a fresh outfit. Then Iruka helped him slide into the easy to fasten harness. “Okay, let’s eat and then go shopping.” Iruka said and patted his thighs as he stood back up and held onto the harness as they walked to the kitchen.

\---

After shopping for ingredients they returned home. As they walked up, Rize-sama, his kindly neighbor lady was once again tending her plants. “Hello Iruka sensei. Who’s your furry friend?” Rize said with a chipper grin and turned off her watering hose.

“Hello Rize- sama. Oh, that’s right. You haven’t met Karuba yet. Karuba, this is Rize-sama, my good friend and neighbor. And Rize-sama, this is Karuba, he’s my service dog.” Iruka smiled and Karuba noted that Iruka seemed to almost relax entirely when talking with Rize-sama.

“Nice to meet you, Rize-sama. And thank you for the flowers.” Karuba said and added in a kindly bark.

“Oh my, well, a talking ninken, how nice. Must make things much easier when you can talk with each other.” Rize said and bent down to pet Karuba. Karuba wagged his tail and soaked in the love. “But how did you know that the flowers were from me?” She looked up at Iruka questioningly.

Iruka chuckled “Yes, it certainly is nice having him around. Well, you’ve always given me flowers, and Karuba could tell that they had the same smell as the ones in your yard.” He paused. “And Kakashi-san may have confirmed our guess for us.” Iruka scratched his nose bashfully and toed the dirt.

“Ah, well, I had a feeling you would figure it out, but an old woman can try, can’t she?” Rize smiled and stood back up, and Karuba returned to Iruka’s left side, letting Iruka take hold of his harness again.

“Well, we really appreciate the gift. And I may stop by later with something for you as well.” Iruka said and began to walk towards his gate. “Well, we need to get these groceries inside before they get to hot. It was nice speaking with you Rize-sama.” Iruka gave a small bow and waved before picking up the grocery bags to make his way inside.

“No need to go out of the way, Iruka sensei. Your company has always been enough.” She said and picked back up her garden hose. “Nice meeting you, Karuba.” She bowed and waved to the two of them. 

“See you around.” Karuba said and then helped haul a smaller parcel with his mouth.

Once inside the two of them worked together to put away the groceries and kept out the ones needed to make the muffins. And they had a little time to relax before Karuba sniffed the air and said “Iruka, I can smell Kakashi, he’s almost here.” And got up and ran to the door wagging his tail enthusiastically.

Iruka sighed. This was going to be a long day, and it was only about 1 in the afternoon by now. Karuba poked his head out of the doggy door, his tail whipping back and forth knocking against the wood paneling. Iruka stood up and walked over to the door. “Karuba, you know… I can’t let Kakashi sensei in if you’re blocking the door…” Iruka sighed and scratched Karuba’s butt that was still inside the house.

“Oh… yeah…” Karuba said and backed back into the house. “Sorry, Iruka. I just got a little excited.”

Iruka laughed. “It’s okay. It was kinda cute. I could almost picture you standing there with your butt sticking out on this side.” He held his hand over his mouth to stifle a larger laugh, but it was no use. He began to laugh a bit louder and just then came the rap at the door as Kakashi appeared. 

“Yo. What’s so funny?” Kakashi inquired as he peeked in through the door windows down at the laughing sensei.

Iruka just giggled and waved his hand in front of his face signaling that he was laughing too hard to answer. So Karuba answered for him.  
“He thinks my butt is funny.” Karuba stated nonchalantly, which did nothing to clear up Kakashi’s confusion.

“He… what?” Kakashi said and twisted the door knob, sliding in past the crouching Iruka. He then squatted down to pet Karuba as he lunged into his other owners arms.

“I- no- ahem.” Iruka cleared his throat and choked back laughter. “He was standing there and I could hear his tail hitting the wall as he peered out of the doggy door for you, and I could just… picture it.. in my mind and it was… just… really. FUNNY!” Iruka began snickering again and he clutched his side and smacked his hand on the floor as he laughed.

Kakashi kept petting Karuba but stared at Iruka’s laughing fit with surprise. But the laughter was contagious and soon a grin spread over Kakashi’s hidden lips and he began to laugh as well. Kakashi had no idea why it was so funny, but it it was a LITTLE funny. So he laughed with Iruka and then played a game of fetch for a few minutes when Karuba ran to get his old worn out tennis ball.

\---

After the three of them had calmed down and Iruka had regrouped after his laughing fit, they walked to the kitchen and gathered around the kitchen counter filled with supplies.

“So…. Blueberry muffins I see.” Kakashi said as he peers at the container of fresh, juicy, blueberries.

“Yes, they are in season right now, so they are especially tasty.” Iruka said and felt around the table until he found the container and pulled out a blueberry to sample it. 

“Oy. No wonder the container is half empty! You must keep eating them!” Kakashi said, his eyes widening. 

“Only 2 or 3…..” Iruka muttered with a mouthful, and a puzzled expression.

“Er…. Make that 10 or 11…” Karuba corrected and licked his chops.

Iruka snapped his head in Karuba’s direction making a shocked and mortified expression. “KARUBA! I never! You little thief!” Iruka bent low and mussed up Karuba’s head of hair.

“Hey, YOU started it, Iruka sensei. I was just making sure they were good enough to put into the muffins.” Karuba said a doggy grin spreading on his face.

“Okay, okay, If we are going to make these muffins, I think we better fill our bellies first.” Kakashi said and started looking through the cabinets.

“What are you looking for, Kakashi sensei?” Iruka asked and moved in his direction.

“FOOD. You two are definitely hangry. And if I’m going to work with you two in this tiny kitchen, I’m going to make sure you won’t bite my head off in the process!” Kakashi said and found some ingredient he could make into a quick and satisfying meal, courtesy of his skilled bachelorhood of fending for himself.

“Oh… I guess we didn’t really eat much for breakfast did we…” Iruka muttered and scratched his nose.

“Right, so I’ll make something for you two to eat while you just sit down and try not to eat each other.” Kakashi said and led Iruka over to the table to sit down.

“All right, fine…. Thank you Kakashi san…” Iruka said and sat in the chair and listened as Kakashi clanked around in his kitchen. A small blush highlighted his tan cheeks as he pet Karuba and waited for their meal.

\---

“Wow. That was delicious. But for the life of me I couldn’t tell exactly what it WAS!” Iruka said and patted his belly.

Kakashi grinned. “Well, it doesn’t really have a name… It’s just something I made up during my ANBU years. I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare proper meals, so I improvised.

“Well, it was very good. Thank you.”Iruka said and Karuba agreed as he licked his bowl clean.

“So, shall we start baking now, Iruka sensei?” Kakashi said and stood up.

“Yeah, sounds good.” Iruka said and stood up. Suddenly though, Iruka was shocked to feel the fabric of his familiar apron being tugged over his head and two arms reaching around to tie the apron in place around his hips. “W-woah!” He said, startled by the sudden, but helpfully harmless action. “I-I could have done that, Kakashi…” Iruka stammered. 

“I know, but I AM here to help, am I not?” Kakashi assured and then ruffled Karuba’s head as he passed by, heading towards the baking supplies.

Iruka sighed in submission and made his way over to the counter as well, deciding that from now on, he would have to get used to people helping him out more often.

“Okay, so, First of all, the recipe I usually use is in my cook book above the stove. Can you help me find it?” Iruka said and pointed back behind Kakashi.

“Cook book. Got it.” Kakashi said and with lightning paced speed retrieved the worn cookbook in Iruka’s cupboard.

“Good, now, let’s get cracking.” Iruka said and cracked his knuckles.

Kakashi’s and Karuba glanced at each other in surprise, both of them wondering if Iruka was talking about cooking, or a fist fight. They both opted to shrug and just go with the flow, for fear that Iruka sensei would unleash his teacher’s wrath, and go about his usual order of discipline for those who defied his directions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was fun, a bit sad at first, but Iruka get's a good laugh towards the end. :)  
> Please let me know what you think in the comments!!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baking, a bit of violence, and a memory for a lifetime.

Luckily enough for Kakashi, the muffin recipe was simple enough. Standard ingredients, short prep time, even HE could make these delectable chocolate chip muffins. Iruka did what he could to help, in fact he was bound and determined to not just be the one instructing how to do things. Yes, Kakashi and Karuba were his eyes now, but his muscle memory was keen, and so Iruka quickly went from awkwardly standing with his hands on the counter directed Kakashi as to where to get the baking supplies, and once all that was all in order, Kakashi would measure some of the trickier ingredients, and Iruka mixed the batter, and gave Kakashi tips on how to make sure that the muffins would come out smooth and not lumpy. Of course, chocolate wasn’t for dogs, but Karuba wasn’t dumb, and when he saw drips of the golden sugary batter trail down the bowl he would be RIGHT there, underneath Iruka, ready to lick up the drops before they had even the slightest chance to make it down to the floor. He was ‘Saving them from cleaning up the mess later.’ Or so Karuba said in his defense when both Kakashi and Iruka caught onto his antics.

Awhile later after the muffins were poured into the tins, and Karuba lay on the floor sleeping off a sugar coma, Kakashi and Iruka finally did the finishing touches on the muffins before placing them into the oven to bake.

Iruka was pleased at how easily their baking session went, and even more impressed that not once did he feel that Kakashi was overstepping his bounds, or doing more than his share of the work. And all in all, Iruka could consciously feel his trust in the copy nin growing. 

“Okay, so, set the timer for about 2 minutes less than the bake time. My oven tends to bake things a bit faster than the listed bake times. Oh, and could you please get out a tootpick from the cabinet next to the sink, Kakashi san?”

“Oh, that’s good to know, and why do you need a toothpick?” Kakashi inquired as he retrieved the small wooden toothpick.

“It’s to test how done the muffins are in the center once we think they are close to being fully baked.” Iruka stated and began to remove his apron. But Kakashi had double knotted the straps in place. Iruka hissed a frustrated grunt at the knot. “Kakashi…. Um….” He blushed at bit at his predicament and pointed at his lower back, where the straps were tightly wound in a almost impossible to untie knot.

Kakashi turned away from the stove where he was crouched down, looking into the little oven window watching the batter heat up and small bubbles pop on the surface. “Hmm?” Kakashi said before his eye met the frustrated sensei’s.

“Um… A little help… if you don’t mind. You really knot something when you tie it, you know that?” Iruka muttered as Kakashi stood and made his way over to Iruka.

“Haa, force of shinobi habit, I’m afraid… Sorry about that Iruka sensei.” Kakashi apologized and rubbed the back of his head before attending to the impossible knot that he himself had crafted to minimize the likely hood of other shinobi untying things and retying them without him noticing a difference. “And don’t worry about it, you couldn’t have untied it even if you had your eyesight. This is a knot that I created.” Kakashi explained to hopefully make the frustrated furrow in Iruka’s brow dissipate.

“UGH! No wonder it felt funny.” Iruka groaned and slumped his shoulders in defeat. Kakashi chuckled and was glad that Iruka was not taking the issue to heart.

“You know… I didn’t want to mention it in case it would strike a nerve, but, I’m really impressed at how well you are doing, Iruka sensei.” Kakashi said as he undid the loop of his knot. “There, all done.”

Iruka mulled over the statement a bit as he reached up and pulled the apron off over his head. He spun it in his hands, rolling it up. “I’m not offended, but, I’m probably not doing as well as you think I am. You’re not here all the time like Karuba is now, and even he hasn’t seen me at my worst yet.” Kakashi stood silently behind Iruka, and Iruka took a few slow steps forward to the counter to find the drawer for the apron and put it back in its place. Then he turned and leaned against the counter and continued his train of thought. “It… hasn’t been easy. The first few months were the worst. Really only Tsunade sama and a select few others saw me at that point of my recovery. Thank goodness for that. I don’t think my pride could recover if anyone else had seen me like that.”

“I don’t think anything could ruin my impression of you sensei. You’ve always been a hard working, dedicated member of the leaf village, and a loyal shinobi.” Kakashi offered supportively.

“Was. Was a shinobi.” Iruka stated bitterly.

Silence fell over the two of them, you could even hear Karuba breathing in the corner of the room. Suddenly the sound of a shuriken singing through the air caught Iruka’s attention and with a quick leap his dipped his head and lunged forward, his hands instinctively bracing on the floor as he glided into a defensive crouch. The shuriken let out a dull thunk as it embedded in the cabinet that had been behind Iruka’s head before he had leapt out of the way. Iruka whipped his head towards Kakashi and straightened up. “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR YOU JER-“ 

“See?” Kakashi stated bluntly. By this point Karuba was on all fours, and had dashed across the wooden flooring just far enough to see the rest of the room before Kakashi held out a hand, signaling Karuba to stay where he was. He glanced at the two of them, but said nothing.

“See? See WHAT?! I’m blind you idiot!” Iruka blurted his forehead starting to redden from the bubbling shock and frustration rising in his veins. What the hell was Kakashi thinking? If he wasn’t as fast as he had been he would have- oh. And then Iruka understood. Kakashi was making a point, and Iruka had almost missed it all together.

Kakashi sighed, realizing his poor word choice wasn’t helping. “What I meant was…. Once a shinobi, always a shinobi. Iruka, you are better than you give yourself credit for. And, I believe in you. You will get through this. Karuba and I may be helping you, but… you have already made it this far on your own. Have faith in yourself.”

Iruka took a moment, and the whole company held their breaths as the hue of his face lessened and the frown on his face relaxed into one of silent contemplation. Iruka sighed and stood back up, and straightened his shirt. “Yeah… well, you could have just said that instead of throwing a weapon at me…” Iruka said, agreeing with the message, but disagreeing with the means of delivering the said commentary.

“I suppose you’re right, but it sure made my point, didn’t it, Iruka sensei?” Kakashi said with a small grin, trying to lighten the mood.

“Please stop making terrible jokes, Kakashi sensei. Naruto may put up with your antics, but I will not.” Iruka retorted and began to strut across the room brushing shoulders as he passed. As Iruka passed, making his way into the living room to sit down and wait for the muffins to bake, Kakashi signaled that Karuba could move at ease, and Karuba hurried to join Iruka in the living room. But the look that Karuba gave to Kakashi as he passed was one that only Kakashi understood. 

Karuba simply shook his head and rolled his eyes. Basically Karuba had just mentally said: ‘One of these days Iruka is gonna throw a shuriken at YOU, and I’m not gonna stop him.’ Kakashi sighed. Clearly he was going to have to work on some tamer ways of proving to Iruka just how valuable he still was to the leaf village, and to him. But for now he would just have to do what he could to be there for Iruka, and let him find his confidence again in his own time. 

Kakashi peeked in at the muffins one more time and then began the dishes that were soaking in the sink. After a minute Iruka was back in the kitchen his hand trailing along the wallpaper, guiding him over to the sink where Kakashi was washing. “Kakashi san, you don’t have to do that. I can manage the dishes fine. You can just set any sharp knives aside and I’ll do them later with Karuba’s help. I could use the practice.” Iruka stood over Kakashi’s right shoulder, trying to nudge his way in to take over cleaning. 

“I’ve got it Iruka sensei, but if you really insist, perhaps you could assist with the drying?” Kakashi offered, feeling cordial due to his brash actions just before.

“Okay, thank you for the help.” Iruka said and went to grab the drying towel. Karuba walked into the kitchen holding a rawhide bone in his mouth and plopped at their feet, laying his warm furry body across their bare toes. Iruka’s eyes widened and a grin passed his face briefly before turning towards Kakashi, his mouth opening to say something, but Kakashi already knew ahead of time and said:

“Yeah, he does that all the time. He’s a good foot warmer. My feet are always cold. It’s quite nice in winter actually.” Kakashi grinned, even though Iruka couldn’t see it. But Kakashi knew you could hear smiles, and Iruka’s crooked grin at Karuba’s endearing actions was literally priceless, and impossible NOT to smile about.

Iruka let out an almost childlike giggle and smiled dorkily to himself as he began to pick up dishes and dry them. “This is the best.” Iruka stated and happily focused on the task at hand. Kakashi’s hands paused their scrubbing as he stared at Iruka, completely transfixed. 

Kakashi lifted his hand, dripping soap and all, and quickly nudged his headband out of the way, allowing the swirls in his sharingan to activate and spin to life, capturing every detail of the elated, and peaceful expression on the brunette sensei’s face. He wanted to remember that. Because even in a world where the so many shinobi’s lived hard and died young, here he was, and there Iruka was, and they were both alive. Sure they were battle worn, and a bit worse for wear, but at least…. at least this time, he hoped that by the grace of some miracle that Iruka wouldn’t face any more earth shattering troubles. And he hoped that Iruka would once again smile like that every day, just as he had seen him do so many times before, while teaching at the academy.

He would get ‘their’ Iruka back. Even if it killed him. That was a part of his nindo, his ninja way. Iruka had been lucky, he hadn’t died. But a part of him was lost after the accident, and Kakashi would find a way to bring their spirited sensei back to life. He wasn’t ever going to give up on Iruka. And that was what Kakashi swore to himself as he watched Iruka sensei’s face, while washing the dishes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading chapter seven!!! I'm really happy about how this chapter turned out. For awhile there I was sick with a cold, but now I feel much better!!!
> 
> See you in the next chapter everyone! Feel free to share links to my story on your blogs or with your friends! Your lovely support is honestly 99% of what keeps me writing. the other 1% is my own ambition. >_


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically... this chapter is all about pointy objects. That is LITERALLY as summed up as it can get.

After their baking day, the weeks seemed to pass by quite a bit faster for Iruka. The days that had been long and dull, were now filled with games of fetch, long walks through the village with Karuba in tow, and nightly visits by Kakashi who would help with dinner, and they would eat together while practicing Braille.

Kakashi was able to quickly memorize the small raised dots and was a natural at sensing the small bumps due to firstly, his sight, and secondly, possessing the sharingan made it undoubtedly quite a bit easier. Which caused Iruka much frustration at first so Kakashi made a point to not act like a know-it-all and match his tutorage to Iruka’s pace. Kakashi knew he may not be the best teacher out of the two of them, but he knew a thing or two, and did his best to help.

For a good 2 or 3 weeks Iruka did nothing but study Braille. Karuba at this point was so sick of those damn tiny dots that he was seeing spots everywhere, and really the only circle he cared about was the red rubber one that was his new favourite ball. Which, in Iruka’s routine, had fallen by the wayside to make room for studying, studying, and more studying.

So after about 3 weeks it had become very clear to see to both Kakashi and Karuba that Iruka had a one track mind in regards to dedication to a cause, and it was no wonder that he was as fine a teacher as he was. However, Kakashi and Karuba did not quite share Iruka’s tireless work ethic, and were ready to get Iruka focused on another task, hopefully one that would be more entertaining to all three of them. Especially since Karuba had no use for Braille seeing as he didn’t even have fingers in the first place.

\---

So, one day….

\---

“Pst. Hey, Karuba, are you ready?” Kakashi whispered as he pet Karuba inside the entryway of Iruka’s house.

“Oh, boy, am I ever!” Karuba replied excitedly and wagged his tail.

“Ready for what?” Iruka replied leaning back from the table giving his full attention to hearing every word they said. “You know I can hear everything in this house now, right?” Iruka reminded them, and then returned most of his focus back to his Braille type writer in front of him. “Kakashi, can you come here and check if I’m typing this right?”

Kakashi glanced at Karuba and nodded before standing and walking over to Iruka to peer over his right shoulder at the page. “Hmm, if you were trying to write an indecipherable code, then you’re hired.” Kakashi stated flatly.

Iruka groaned. 

“Uhgggghhhhh. Are you kidding me?! This is a lot harder than it looks. And DON’T make a joke about my choice of words. I’ve all but given up on removing phrases regarding sight from my vocabulary because it’s honestly more annoying to try and remember not to say them.” 

Kakashi rolled his eyes, and then Iruka started tearing the page out of the typewriter.

“Hey! Hey! Wait a minute! It was fine, I was just joking!” Kakashi said and grabbed Iruka’s hand stilling him before he could tear it to shreds.

Karuba could almost hear the veins on Iruka’s head pulsing. Karuba decided to make a tactical retreat and grabbed his bone before bolting out of his doggy door faster than you could say “Fetch.” 

“What?!” He spat, clearly pissed to high heaven.

“Uh… Well…” Kakashi started, already beginning to analyse what office supply Iruka might be aiming at his head this time. Kakashi didn’t let go of Iruka’s hands, but only because he decided that keeping a hold on them was the only thing keeping Iruka from wrapping them around his neck.

“Think. Bigger.” Iruka said through clenched teeth.

“Pardon?” Kakashi inquired, completely confused.

“If you don’t let go of my hands, Kakashi sensei, it won’t be a pencil I throw, but this entire. fucking. Typewriter.” He enunciated as his hands began to twitch.

Despite the violent words, Kakashi glanced at Iruka’s face, noting that under the initial murderous intent, lay an unmistakable blush of nervousness.

“But, Iruka sensei, if I let go of your hands, I’m afraid that there will be nothing there to stop you from doing just that…. so…” Kakashi said carefully, and then slowly began to pull Iruka’s hands away from the poor abused Typewriter, and guide Iruka up, to stand away from the many pointy objects that could soon become projectile weapons.

“’So’, what?” Iruka said, somewhat more coolly than before, but still holding and edge of impatience.

“So, how about instead of murdering a typewriter, and probably me, we do something else today?” Kakashi said, speaking ever so kindly in order to better sell his idea.

“Oh? Like what, exactly? You know I have a lot to do, I don’t have time to goof off like you do all the time.”

“Well, what Karuba and I have in mind isn’t goofing off exactly. It’s more like… productive playtime.” Kakashi said and led Iruka across the room and picked up Karuba’s travel bag. It was filled with a few toys and trinkets that they often needed while running errands around town. This time though Iruka noted that it felt heftier and heard a slight jangle as he hoisted it onto his shoulder.

“Woah, what’s in here?!” Iruka gawked in surprise.

“Oh, just a few odds and ends that we’ll be using today, but I’ll explain once we get there.” Kakashi was vague as ever, and Iruka decided he may as well go along with this little intermission if they were going to try to stay more or less sane for the next week. Besides their month was almost up, and Iruka felt that even though his progress was slow, that he was well on his way to becoming more independent. Perhaps Kakashi sensed this and wanted to more or less switch things up to lighten the mood before they would meet back with Tsunade sama and inform her of their progress.

As the three of them walked down the dirt road Kakashi and Iruka took turns throwing the tennis ball for Karuba, and Iruka walked with his right arm hooked through Kakashi’s left. At first Iruka had found it embarrassing when Kakashi had offered his arm when walking home from the grocery store 2 weeks ago, but what with Karuba’s harness full of grocery bags the dog had enough to handle without needing to help Iruka weave through the streets. After that trip they decided more frequent smaller grocery runs would be more manageable than fewer larger trips.

Iruka thought back on more of their month’s activities. They had learned a lot together. Like how Karuba could help Iruka with certain tasks in the kitchen, and how Karuba could NOT in fact help very well with matching Iruka’s outfit colours. For example, his dark green pants looked quite the same as his black ones, and only upon hearing the snickered whispers of the neighborhood children had Iruka realized their blunder. Thus, the green pants were promptly labeled as ‘green’ on the inner tag with permanent marker for Karuba’s easier identification in the future. Iruka chuckled at the memory and unconsciously held tighter onto Kakashi’s arm.

Kakashi glanced down at Iruka as Iruka held his left hand over his mouth to hide his amusement. Kakashi let him have his silent moment of happiness, as through the weeks Iruka’s laughter had only returned in bits and pieces. So when Kakashi witnessed these small little glistening moments of happiness, he simply let them happen as to not rub in the fact that Iruka had for awhile lacked his usual chipper attitude. Iruka had enough to deal with, without people reminding him that he was not quite back to his old self.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was also rather aware of what was being said about him around town recently. But the rumors never much bothered him, since it wasn’t really anything new that hadn’t already been said before. Kakashi merely grinned beneath his mask, enjoying the company of his two friends, who also happened to be comrades, and let his head tilt upward, soaking in the warm sun’s rays as they made their way towards one of the more remote training grounds that was near to Iruka’s house.

Iruka noted when they began walking on grass instead of gravel and nodded his head towards Kakashi inquiring about their destination. “Are we by the woods right now, Kakashi san?”

“Mmhm.” Kakashi hummed as he heaved the ball over his head and deep into the woods. Clearly Karuba was loving it because the slobber on the ball was almost like a second skin that glistened off the surface of the fuzz as it disappeared over the treetops. “Well that should take him a bit longer to find.” Kakashi announced triumphantly.

Iruka’s eyebrows raised. “Was that the high pitched whizzing sound from the BALL? Holy shit. How far did it go?” Iruka gaped.

“OH, with the help of my chakra, probably a good mile or so, depending on the bounce.”

“Will he actually find it?” Iruka questioned in awe.

“Oh yeah. Karuba’s the best of my ninken at fetch. He has not lost a ball yet.”

“No kidding, really? No wonder he’s obsessed with everything round and ball like.” Iruka muttered and became lost in thought regarding Karuba’s obsession with his household objects that he kept feeling bite marks on.

“Like master, like hound I guess.” Kakashi said nonchalantly.

“Wait. What’s that supposed to mean?” Iruka said his brows slanting together in a small confused wrinkle.

“Oh, nothing, just thinking aloud. We’re here.” Kakashi said changing the subject as he slowed and halted.

Iruka decided to let sleeping dogs lay and just focus on their current task. Speaking of dogs… “So, should we wait for Karuba, or are you finally going to tell we what we are doing at the training grounds?”

“Nah, he’ll be back in another minute or so. And seeing as this is a training ground. What do you THINK we’re going to be doing, Iruka sensei?” Kakashi said taking the bag off of Iruka’s shoulder and set it on the grass and unzipped it.

“Well…. I would say we are training, but what the hell do you expect me to do? I’m not exactly the shinobi I used to be. I-“

“Wrong.” Kakashi interjected.

“Wrong? What do you mean wrong? What part was I wrong about.” Iruka asked his voice getting a bit snippy.

“Well, yes, we are here to train, but I’m certain that you ARE the shinobi you used to be, and in fact I think you can be even better. Because now you have something that other shinobi’s don’t usually have to ‘deal’ with, and in a way, your blindness will bring out your other strengths. Not to mention with your innovative teachers mind, you and I will no doubt come up with some fascinating techniques. Besides, what if one of your future students is blind, or becomes blind like you have? Wouldn’t you want to help them in any way you can to prepare them for a life without sight?”

Iruka was silent. He was kind of miffed that Kakashi had so many reasons for Iruka to stay an active shinobi of the Leaf. But really, he made a point he hadn’t even thought of. What if one of his students was blind… He certainly would want to help them, and maybe, just maybe with his personal experiences he could be a valuable resource in some way for someone in the future.

“Iruka sensei?” Kakashi queried. Unsure if Iruka’s lack of response was cause for worry or not.

“Okay. Let’s do it.” Iruka said confidently. He raised his head and even clenched his fist a bit in determination. Kakashi’s single eye curved into a crescent and with a chipper voice he whistled loudly. Not even 5 seconds later Karuba came thundering back drooling and gnawing on the tennis ball and spat it at the ground beneath Kakashi’s feet. Kakashi stared at it in disgust. “Ya know…. I think I’d have preferred you lost this one. It’s seen its fair share of war. What’dya say we retire it and get you a new one once we’re back at the house?” Karuba yipped in excitement and picked the ball back up to Kakashi relief. He really didn’t want to get Karuba goobers all over his hands. Iruka scoffed in the background as he neared Kakashi and reached down into the bag beside him. 

“What’s all in here anyway?” Iruka said as he swished his hands around inside feeling for objects. He found what felt like bandages, and water bottles, and- “Ouch! What the..?” Iruka flinched as he nicked his finger on the sharp edge of a kunai.

“Woah, watch it, there are weapons in there too!” Kakashi said and was near Iruka in an instant.

“YEAH, I CAN TELL. THANKS FOR THE WARNING ASS HOLE!” Iruka said and sucked on his finger.

“Sorry, sorry. They must have fallen out of the holster…” Kakashi said as he carefully took the scattered kunai and placed them safely back into their safety pouch. “Are you okay, sensei?” Kakashi said as he then grabbed the bandage kit.

“Yeah… Just surprised me is all. I’ve gotten worse from pencil sharpeners at the school. I’m surprised I haven’t gotten tetanus from them already.” Iruka gently touched his finger tips to the cut feeling to acquire how deep it was.

“Here. Let me…” Kakashi said and gently took Iruka’s hand and took a moment to examine the cut himself. “It’s not too deep. A small bandage should do it.” Kakashi said as he unwrapped a bandage.

“Nah, it’s fine. A bandage will be more of a hindrance than a help on something this small.” Iruka stated and patted the blood off on his pants leg.

“Yeah, but it might get irritated while training… You’ll be using your hands a bit.” Kakashi explained.

“Oh, and what will we be doing exactly? You still haven’t told me.” Iruka inquired as he rolled his blind eyes and held his wounded finger towards Kakashi to bandage properly. “Honestly, you’re more of a mother hen than I am.” Iruka chuckled as Kakashi wrapped his finger.

“I’m going to ignore that statement since I’m the one who led to you getting cut in the first place… And the training is going to be somewhere along the same lines of ‘the muffin incident.’” Kakashi said dramatically.

“You mean ‘murder attempt.’” Iruka said with a bitter sarcastic twang. “You purposefully threw a kunai at my head!”

“Ah! AND you DODGED IT!” Kakashi said with pep. “Which is exactly what you will be doing today.” Kakashi announced and stood up while also pulling Iruka to his feet as well.

“Sooooo… basically this is ‘deadly dodge ball?’” Iruka stated flatly.

“Technically, ‘deadly dodge – kunai’ would be more accurate, but yes.” Kakashi corrected.

“You’re insane. You just wanna kill me off so you don’t have to stay stuck in the village with me for another week.” Iruka ranted semi sarcastically. But he figured Kakashi must be growing a bit restless helping him on and off over the past 3 weeks. He doubted Kakashi had had this long of a mission hiatus since his teen years.

“Definitely not! If I kill you, Tsunade would not simply slaughter me, but rather would see me tortured in some vile way until I die at a ripe old age! I would never risk that. So I also brought PLASTIC kunai to practice with first.”

“You’re still nuts. And if someone gets hurt-“

“Iruka, do you trust me?” Kakashi interrupted.

“…” Iruka winced. And Karuba paused his gnawing to look at Iruka. Kakashi noted his hounds reaction and deduced that there was a shared story to Karuba reacting the way he had due to Iruka’s silence. “Is this a trick question, because it’s kind of a yes-no answer…?” Iruka said seeming to have somehow recovered from his stunned silence.

“No tricks, just looking out for my fellow comrade.” Kakashi said and twirled a plastic kunai.

“Well, then… yes, I trust you, Kakashi sensei.” Iruka said slowly, and nodded his head.

“Good, then let us begin with something simple. Karuba! You stand by Iruka and act as a defense should Iruka not dodge in time. And Iruka, your goal is simply to dodge each kunai by any means possible. And once we get a rhythm going I want you to try announcing where you think the kunai is heading as it is thrown. For example:” Kakashi drew back his arm holding the plastic kunai. “Incoming!” He announced and threw the kunai towards Iruka. The kunai zinged towards his left arm and Karuba lunged to catch it between his teeth successfully.

“Woah, Holy shit that was fast!” Iruka gasped as he heard Karuba’s teeth snap down on the kunai. Iruka frowned. “I didn’t even hear it that time. Try it again!” Iruka adjusted his stance and tilted his head slightly to give his ear a better angle to locate the sound of the kunai.  
Kakashi grinned at Iruka’s enthusiasm and determination. Perhaps this would be productive AND fun. Kakashi pulled another plastic kunai from his holster.

“Okay, get ready. Incoming!” Kakashi said and tossed another one at Iruka. Iruka’s neck tweaked a bit towards the blur of the kunai and he stepped to the left just with enough time to feel the air shift next to his elbow. 

Iruka grinned. “Ha!”

“Okay, better. Let’s keep going. And once you feel comfortable with that, I have a few other variation that build off of this base maneuver.” Kakashi was pleased and Karuba was panting happily at the extra play time he was getting today. And it was only just past noon!

“Are you gonna talk or throw, Kakashi sensei?” Iruka taunted as he grinned widely and glanced at Karuba. “We’re gonna kick your master’s butt at this, aren’t we boy?” Iruka encouraged.

“Do I get a treat if we do?” Karuba asked, seizing the opportunity to make his great day even better.

“Hell yes you will.” Iruka said and laughed.

“Then you better believe we will beat Kakashi’s butt at this game of you-dodge-I-catch.” Karuba said with a loud bark.

“All right! That’s my boy. BRING IT ON, KAKASHI SENSEI! We’re ready to beat your ass!” Iruka shouted loudly.

“Then I won’t go easy on you.” Kakashi said and adjusted his stance to prepare a faster throw. And with a fast wiz their afternoon flew by as fast as a plastic practice kunai.

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! And for waiting!! I had a blast writing this chapter because it had a lot of fun dialogue. I have been really busy with work, and art, and life in general. So I have been dying to write more, but haven't had the time. But here I am!!!!
> 
> And I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! If the dialogue was too confusing let me know! I can always use tips, or if anyone want's to help me beta if they see any consistent errors, please let me know! 
> 
> Thanks again for reading! Catch ya later!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so much fucking angst. Prepare your heart to be shredded.
> 
> I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you in the next chapter!!!! >.

Iruka panted heavily. The air was muggy and damp, and darkness encroached on his visibility. “Karuba. Where are you?” Iruka ran through the bushes and trees along the outskirts of the Leaf. Then he heard the wizzing of a Kunai and ducked just as it clipped past a strand of his hair. Where was his hitai-ate? Oh, yes. Now Iruka recalled that it was around Karuba’s neck. A shuffling sounded to his left and Iruka twisted silently in the grass, gritting his sandals in the moist dirt to prepare to run or attack. Whichever the situation called for. He hardly questioned why he could see. But he was just a passenger in a dream. 

Still he knew he needed to find his nin hound or he would be helpless without his guide. Fog began to roll in giant clouds surrounding him.

“Iruka sensei?!” Karuba’s bark echoed around, impossible to distinguish it’s originating point.

“Where are you? I can’t… I can’t see you!” Iruka spun around leaves crunched under his step and he felt the dewy touch of dread coat his pores. A cold sweat broke out on his skin and he shivered as he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“You told him. We told you not to tell anyone.” Iruka turned around but now the fog had enveloped everything and he could no longer see the trees, or the bodiless voice. 

“I- I… you can’t hurt me. And the Hokage knows, what difference is it if I told a dog?”

“A NINKEN dog.” A new voice growled out from behind him, and he thought he felt something brush his neck. Iruka gasped and swung his leg out in a round house kick. But it connected with nothing but air.

“P-Please don’t… Leave us alone!” Iruka said as he felt his vest. But it was empty. He had no weapons on him. His heart dropped into the acidic pit of his stomach.

Arms looped under Iruka’s armpits and pulled roughly back on his arms, locking them in place behind his back. Panic bubbled under the surface of Iruka’s calm battle expression. How had they gotten behind him so quickly?

“Us? It’s only YOU now, Iruka.” The voice behind him was new. It had a rattle to it that smelled of bad tobacco. He had forgotten, there were three of them. Then from somewhere far off there was a yip of anguish from a dog.

Karuba.

“Karuba! NO!” Iruka thrashed, but halted as he felt the icy metal of a kunai on his throat.

“Shhhh, now.” The figureless second voice chided. “You already know how this ends.” Iruka could hear the sneer in their voice; it reeked of malice and foreboding.

Then Iruka saw it. The vial and eyedropper. The solution was clear, it looked harmless, like water. But it wasn’t. And he knew what was coming next. He gasped desperately, trying to choke back sobs as the hands pushed him to the ground and fingernails dug into his scalp and tugged his hair, holding him steady against the mulched soil. His hands grasped at twigs, and leaves, as he tried to free himself from the heavy limbs that held him down.

“No…. no please….” Iruka begged as his vision began to blur from tears. He pinched his eyes shut, resisting even though it was futile. He knew that they would just pry his eyelids open with their dirty fingers, and flood his eyes with the toxin that robbed him of his vision. He never even saw the dropper near his face. His tears had graced him with that last mercy.

Iruka thrashing mellowed as he felt his wet tears stream down his face and his world began to darken. He couldn’t feel the sting of the toxin, but he knew it was there. He remembered the way it felt like it was running down the inside of his eye sockets into his skull.

“Please…. Stop…” Iruka begged through slobber and tears. “Someone… help me.. Karuba…?”

“Iruka…. Iruka?” Iruka’s brow furrowed as a new voice mingled with the demonic laughter of his 3 assailents. Who was saying his name…? He listened harder. “….IRUKA!” The voice drowned out the other voices and now he could hear him clearly…

“Ka.. kashi… sensei?” Iruka questioned as he strained against the fading arms forcing him down. Then he began to feel a tongue licking his tear streaked, toxin flooded eyelids. A dog whimper sounded near his ear. 

“Iruka… Iruka wake up.” Kakashi coaxed.

A dream? He was dreaming, ah, yes, of course he was, Iruka already knew that, but somehow he had been stuck in that terrifying memory. And now Kakashi and Karuba were calling him back to reality. Thank goodness.

And with a snap, Iruka jolted upright. His world completely black again. 

And there Kakashi’s hands were, catching him by the shoulders. Steadying Iruka as Karuba wedged himself into Iruka’s lap, licking Iruka’s tears away and nuzzling his face. 

“Iruka. Iruka, are you all right? I tried to wake you, but you were dead asleep.” Karuba rambled.

“Karuba came and got me.” Kakashi said and moved one of his hands from Iruka’s shoulder to push back the sweat soaked strands of hair that were plastered there, and felt Iruka’s forehead and cheeks to check his temperature. Iruka simply sat stiff. His chest heaving as he caught his breath. His arms were still bent in front of him, defensively, as if he were still mentally pinned inside of the nightmare.

Karuba’s paw gently touched the inside of Iruka’s palm, and something sticky and wet pulled Iruka’s attention back out of his daze. “Oh god, Karuba, is that blood?”

“He clawed the lock open on the door so that I could get in quickly as soon as I got here. He’s faster than I am.” Kakashi said and petted Karuba’s head. Karuba had reacted nobly.

Iruka felt his reality crashing back down on top of him like a heavy weight. He had heard Karuba yelp in the dream, did that part seep into from reality? How long had he been in that nightmare? Iruka's blood ran cold. “Oh god, what time is it? I can’t see… I… I um… I’m sorry Kakashi. Karuba. I’m, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to-“

Kakashi shushed Iruka calmly and stroked his hand along the side of Iruka’s face. “It’s early, about 3 am. Plenty of time yet to rest, just try to relax. I’m not going anywhere.” Kakashi reassured him, and then gently pulled Iruka forward towards himself. Karuba shuffled, allowing room for the three of them to lean together. Iruka’s cheek met softly with Kakashi’s chest, and his chin rested on top of Iruka’s head. Iruka’s head was at a dead halt. His eyes were still and open in shock. His lack of vision was such a terrifying concept for him to grasp in moments like these when he awoke from nightmares filled with his last memories of his sight.

Kakashi’s hand firmly held Iruka close and rubbed circles on his stiff back, working tense knots out slowly as Iruka began to let his body weight sink against Kakashi’s comforting wordless caress. And Karuba continued to lick his arm which was tightly hugging around Karuba’s neck. Iruka let his breath out with a shaky stutter and focused on letting his muscles relax, one at a time. He was all right. He was safe. Karuba was safe. Kakashi was there, and he didn’t have to go through this alone anymore.

He was going to be okay. Iruka wanted to begin to believe that the nightmares would fade away, just as his vision had. In time…. He would feel safe again. He just had to take it one day at a time.  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was emotional and rough. It made me cry when I re-read it.
> 
> Pardon any and all errors in grammar, etc... I was so focussed on the emotional context that I kind of just.... zoned out and couldn't bring myself to edit it much at all....
> 
> If anyone suffers trauma and emotional devastation from this chapter, I do not blame you, and you can feel free to tell me I suck and that I'm a cruel cruel person. Because... yeah... I feel pretty horrible for putting poor Iruka through all of this.... @__@
> 
> please forgive me!!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuing where the last part left off. Now it's morning and Iruka, Kakashi, and Karuba all have breakfast together, and it's just domestic bliss, apparently....... haha.

Iruka woke some time later and rubbed his sleepy fingers over Karuba’s scruff, which was still gasped in his sweaty palm. His eyes felt crusted and raw from far too much crying. The night terrors were beginning to affect his eyes, even though he could not even see. But thankfully this time he had slept in peace. Blackness had blessed his unconsciousness and within his slumber he had regained a semblance of his trademark; optimism.

He sniffed the air and before he could even speak, Karuba replied groggily: “Bacon. Bacon and Pancakes. It’s ‘bout time you woke up. I’m starving. Kakashi is making breakfast.” And with an ebullient leap Karuba’s four paws were up and moving. Iruka groaned at the motion as Karuba awkwardly stepped over him and began to roll himself out of bed as well.

“I feel like I was hit by a Rasengan….” Iruka moaned and let his limbs dangle limply off the side of the bed. Karuba circled back and lapped at Iruka’s hand before shuffling his head underneath his palm encouraging Iruka to get moving.

“You’ll feel better after breakfast. Come on. Kakashi makes AMAZING bacon. Just ask the pack.”

Iruka laughed dryly. “I don’t have to ask them if I can manage to get to the Kitchen in one piece.” Iruka groaned as he let his legs slap down onto the cold hardwood flooring of his bedroom. He briefly rubbed at the dry crusts around his eyelids and stood up, finding his center of balance by placing a palm flush with the wall opposite of him. Then it was simply a turn to the right and a straight walk of 11 steps before a right into the kitchen. But he hardly needed math to find his way to the kitchen. The smell of bacon, and other delicious breakfast foods wafted to his senses almost magically as he neared the kitchen.

“Kakashi sensei… that smells simply amazing, thank you. But you really didn’t have to make breakfast. I need the practice anyway.” Iruka muttered, his voice still raspy and dry from his restless night.

“It’s no bother. I’m used to making bigger breakfasts for the ninken pack. This is nothing. Have a seat, I’ll have a plate for you and Karuba in no time.” Kakashi grinned a one eyed grin, even though he knew the sensei couldn’t see it, he knew that smiles could be heard easily in one’s speech. Besides, after a rough night like that, Kakashi was sure that the sensei could use all the cheer and support he could provide. However simple his gestures may be.

Iruka took a hold of Karuba’s back and shuffled over to the table with a bit of guidance before pulling out a chair and taking a seat. His expression then jumped rapidly from groggy to alert as he stood back up and called for Karuba. “I can go get the mail and a few other things done while I wait.” Karuba slid his nose under Iruka’s hand and heeled so that the sensei could take a hold of the hitai-ate and lead him to the door. Kakashi smiled and acknowledged Iruka before turning back to the bacon sizzling in the black Teflon pan.

Iruka and Karuba stepped outside making their way down the steps and down the short walkway to where the mailbox stood on a post overhanging his white picket fence. Iruka had an almost immaculate lawn, aside from a few thistles and tall grasses sneaking in from the rather less so groomed lawn of his neighbors to his left. But to his right the plants flourished and leaned over the fence towards the ever lively lawn of the green thumbed Rize-san. No doubt the flowered plants wished to mooch off of her kind preening. 

Iruka lay down the mail flag and walked back to the house with Karuba sniffing the air. “Smell anything interesting there Karuba?” Iruka asked and did a little sniff as well. Not that his sense of smell was much better than it used to be. He just paid attention to his other senses more now that he lacked one.

“Not really, just the usual. Although, I think one of your neighbors burnt their toast. Gross.” Karuba snorted and then sneezed. Iruka chuckled and shook his head. 

“Dogs will never cease to amaze me.” Iruka sighed and they began to take the steps back up to the door slowly.

“You amaze me too, Iruka.” Karuba said happily and nudged the door open with his paw. Iruka pushed the door open further but paused as he began to push it shut. His fingers brushed over the splintered wood of the lock beneath the doorknob and his expression fell a bit as he remembered the trouble and pain he put Karuba through. Iruka turned around and knelt down.

“Karuba, come here for a minute please.” Iruka said and held out his hand. “Paw please.” He stated and waited for Karuba to place his furry blonde paw into his hand. Iruka sighed. “Hey, don’t try to fool me. I know it was the other paw. Come on. Behave.” Iruka’s tone shifted to teacher mode a bit and he frowned at Karuba’s behavior, knowing he only wanted to spare Iruka the worry. But Iruka wouldn’t settle for that. Hesitantly Karuba let Iruka take his injured paw and Iruka carefully felt the paw for the injury he sustained last night. The blood had been cleaned and a soft wrap had been placed around the paw, no doubt Kakashi’s doing. But it was a temporary fix. Iruka unwrapped the paw and felt for the injury. It was a gash to his paw pad, and his toe nails seemed a bit chipped. Iruka sighed sadly and raised his other hand over Karuba’s paw. “Hold still, I can probably heal this. Pre genin’s are prone to worse injury than this. And luckily I don’t need my eyes to do this properly. Iruka focused quietly as Karuba sat still letting the sensei treat his injury.

Kakashi was filling the plates and as he crossed the kitchen he peered out at Iruka and Karuba briefly, noticing Iruka healing Karuba’s paw. Kakashi stopped for a moment and admired the kindness that Iruka constantly showed, and admired the extent of Iruka’s many hidden talents that he was becoming more aware of. No doubt Iruka was a valuable sensei, and this just proved all the more how much Kakashi believed in Iruka’s perseverance, and that he would certainly become a teacher and shinobi again. Kakashi smiled again beneath his mask, a slight blush gracing his cheeks at the kindness Iruka showed to one of his closest companions, and then continued to set the table for breakfast. 

Iruka and Karuba joined Kakashi in the kitchen again a few minutes later and they all sat at the table, and Karuba beside it with his bowl OVER filled with bacon, and then silence reigned supreme as bellies were filled and night terrors forgotten. Kakashi ate freely, his mask pulled down, but he still ate quickly. It was a bit odd for him, but he knew that Iruka still respected his privacy, none the less. Karuba snuck to Iruka’s side and nuzzled his lap with a small whine hoping for extra scraps. Iruka tried to be sneaky, but between the easily heard begging, and the not so stealthy gesture of the compassionate, blind, sensei, it was no surprise that Kakashi saw the whole thing and reprimanded Iruka for it. All the while sliding a few extra scraps of his own onto the floor for Karuba to scarf up. Iruka however, was not oblivious either, and smacked Kakashi’s shoulder when Karuba’s happy scarffing noises were heard from Kakashi’s side of the table.

“OY! You lying hypocrite!” Iruka exclaimed with a gasp and huffed a sigh. I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist either. No wonder he begs me for food constantly! YOU must always feed them table scraps! AUGH! Some elite desensitized shinobi YOU are!” However Iruka’s words held little sting because he was grinning ear to ear as he shook his head. “Honestly, You’re as bad as some of my students.” Iruka crossed his arms, and then suddenly uncrossed them as he reached for the pile of mail beside him. “Oh, um, Kakashi, could I actually bother you to help me read my mail? There may be some letters from my students, and other matters I need to attend to.”

“Of course, Iruka sensei.” Kakashi reached for the small stack of mail that Iruka held out, and used his butter knife to cut them open. “Ah, yes, there are a few here from your students. Mostly illegible scribbles though, I’ll do my best to decipher them. I may be a shinobi, but chicken scratch is far different from coded messages…” Kakashi drawled out as he squinted at the colorfully scribbled pages. “Oh goodness. I think it’s probably a good thing you can’t see this. It’s almost blinding me with the colours.”

Iruka let out a chuckle and asked who wrote the current letter. “Konohamaru, of course.” Kakashi replied and read the letter aloud.

“dEar Iruka- sEnseI. It’S reeeeeeallY BoriNg wIThouT YoU hErE. I HoPE YoU coME BaK SooN. ~Konohamaru”

“And then he drew a corpse covered in shuriken. And his two friends crying in a corner thanking him for saving the village. Oh, and the stick figure that is apparently him is wearing the hokage cloak…. Well, what I assume to be the hokage cloak. His artistic abilities leave much to be desired…” Kakashi blinked slowly letting his eye rest a bit. “Oh… my head… how do you deal with this? I had my hands full with Naruto, and now you have a mini him all over again…? Kakashi groaned and lay his head in his arms against the kitchen table.

“Haha, Oh I’m pretty used to it by now. Believe it!” Iruka said in a very Naruto esque voice and grinned while giving a thumbs up. Kakashi looked up, staring at the sight dumbfounded.

“Oh no… don’t tell me he got that from you?!” Kakashi’s visible eye twitched in annoyance.

“No, no! Of course not! But… it’s kind of rubbed off on me…” Iruka rubbed his neck and slumped into his chair a bit. And then patted his tummy. “Oh my gosh, I’m stuffed. Thank you again, for breakfast, Kakashi sensei.”

Karuba burped in the background, but said nothing else as he lay napping, his nose still buried in his now empty food bowl. No doubt getting high off of the aroma of bacon grease.

“Of course. Now, seeing as it’s 2 days until we meet back with Tsunade sama, why don’t we try to make the most of our time and get a few more training runs in on the practice field?” Kakashi inquired and began to gather their empty plates.

“Sure. Sounds good to me. The weather out there is gorgeous!” Iruka added with a smile. Leave it to Iruka to see a bright side to everything. “But uh….” Or maybe not…. “Do you think tomorrow we can leave a bit of time for something I have planned for us? I wanted to do something to thank you and Karuba for your help thus far. Even though I know I haven’t improved very much yet.” Iruka scratched at his nose awkwardly.

“Uh…. Yeah, sure….. But that’s really not necessary, sensei. I may have been given this as a mission. But I assure you, I would have helped of my own accord as well, even if Hokage sama hadn’t ordered it.” Kakashi glanced at the sensei, trying to decode the source of his awkwardness, and need to go out of his way to thank everyone. Iruka really did so much for everyone. No wonder he was so well liked by everyone.

“Oh, I know. But I think you’ll really like this. So make sure we save some time tomorrow, okay?”

“Of course. And thank you in advance, Iruka.” Kakashi made a small bow.

“It’s nothing, really.” Iruka blushed and stood up to help carry dished to the sink. In this he managed fine without assistance. Iruka really was beginning to know his house well. Kakashi followed him to the sink and took the dishes and placed them in the sink as he began to run the water. Kakashi looked at Iruka and smiled. 

“I wash, you dry?” Kakashi asked and pushed his shoulder against Iruka’s, nudging him out of the way a bit, knowing the sensei was trying to shoo him out of the way. But Kakashi didn’t mind. In fact, it was nice doing these simple tasks with Iruka. And once again, Karuba was over their feet, warming their toes with his furry belly, filled with bacon, and Kakashi clicked on the radio and Iruka hummed to the songs softly as they cleaned up their domestic little mess, and suppressed their growing domestic feelings for one another.

“Kakashi….?” Iruka asked softly, pausing his humming as he dried a plate.

“Hmm?” Kakashi responded as he carefully washed a cutting knife.

“If Tsunade sama doesn’t reassign you to help me, would you still be willing to occasionally come help Karuba and I when you have the time? I’m sure Karuba would want to still see you often, and I haven’t really become comfortable asking anyone else for help yet.”  
Kakashi looked up, studying the sensei’s expression, which actually remained quite blank, but something showed through… perhaps a bit of shame…

“Of course I can.” Kakashi smiled and said happily.

Iruka turned to face Kakashi. “Are you sure?” Iruka asked seriously.

“Yes. Of course I am. Besides. Karuba says your throwing leaves much to be desired.” Kakashi teased and elbowed Iruka’s side.

“Hey! Just because I threw it into a rain gutter ONCE does not constitute terrible throwing. I’m blind for goodness sake! How rude. I can’t believe Karuba told you that. Little furry brat…” Iruka grumbled and toed his ninken’s belly. Karuba rolled over and kicked at Iruka’s foot in annoyance.

"Thank you by the way..." Kakashi began.

"For what?" Iruka asked, sceptical. 

"For healing his paw. I was going to do it once you both had gotten up, but you beat me to it. Thank you." Kakashi said and looke down at his sleeping hound.

"Oh... well.... it was because of his concern for me that he got hurt in the first place. And he is my dog too now. I care about him too. So..." Iruka trailed off and rubbed Karuba's belly with his toes. Kakashi smiled at that and could not contain how cute a memory that would be to remember.

Kakashi continued grinning and set the clean knife point down in the drying rack. “Careful, this one’s sharp.” Kakashi stated and guided Iruka’s hand to the handle safely. The assisting touches of their hands had become rather casual between the two of them, and for the most part, they both remained unfazed, however, Kakashi began to note how Iruka’s head would pivot to ‘look’ towards his touch, despite being unable to see. Iruka did this because he was focused on Kakashi’s touch. Obviously because the gesture was usually to guide him safely to something, or somewhere, But, aside from that, secretly Iruka was just becoming more attached to Kakashi as a person, as a friend, and in some ways, as a caretaker. Iruka couldn’t put his finger on it, but he had begun to care for Kakashi, in a similar way as he had begun to care for Karuba. And professional as he tried to stay, he knew his thoughts were drifting towards thoughts of a deeper more connected nature than just that of attendant, and attendee. 

Iruka’s breath hitched in, but he steadied it before breathing out calmly, as Kakashi’s hand left his. The day had just started, he still had today, and tomorrow. He would be fine. He still had Karuba, and Kakashi had promised to drop in from time to time. So he would be okay. He had much to do in a day now anyway, and Kakashi couldn’t waste all his shinobi talent helping him with daily tasks and re training a chunin. Iruka frowned.

“Iruka?” Kakashi asked and replaced his hand on Iruka’s forearm. “You all right? Are you still worn out from last night? If you are, we can re think our training for the day?”

“Uh, no. I’m okay. Sorry, I was just lost in thought for a moment. Let’s continue so we can get to work.” Iruka said and began to lift the knife to dry it carefully.

Kakashi nodded silently and resumed his washing. They finished soon, and Iruka went to change and get ready while Kakashi gathered up their training gear and Karuba ran in circles when he saw the tennis ball get shoved into his owners pocket, no doubt trying to do so without being noticed. But Karuba was sharp as a tack and did nothing but let out excited yips of glee until they set out for the training grounds near to Iruka’s house.

Another exhausting day was ahead of them. And Iruka was ready to give it his best effort!  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just broke 20,000 words!!!!! idfohajharohreohjeaho  
> I'm super happy. I didn't think I'd be able to stick to it. But I have all you readers to thank. A special shout to my friend Carrie, who continues to not only encourage me to write, but also keeps my fanfic fire burning by giving me many many good fanfics to read.... good lord I read 8 novels worth of smutty fanfiction last month alone... I read smut, and cosplay as Kakashi a lot... I'm seriously slowly turning into a real life Kakashi. Haha. Oh dear.....


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find out where I got the name of the story in this chapter. (I even put little asterisks around it just so you don't miss it)
> 
> Also, not that the tags and stuff doesn't warn ya, but GAY STUFF HAPPENS IN THIS CHAPTER. And probably off and on from here on out. So, if you don't like it, then don't read it. Not my problem.
> 
> Oh, and there is a doodle I made for this chapter. I'll put a link in the end notes. Enjoy!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ATTENTION! THIS CHAPTER WAS REVISED AND EDITED ON 5-29-17
> 
> If you read this chapter before 5-29-17 then you will need to RE-READ this chapter due to large changes. Or skim it, or whatever floats your boat. But it wasn't just a spelling edit... so there are dialogue changes and the like.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and so sorry again for the changes... I just really felt like the flow of this fic was broken and I needed to fix things that were bothering me.
> 
> Keep an eye out for update chapters and I will make a list of all edited chapters on the notes section of chapter 1!!!!

The clattering of dishes in the kitchen and the smell of a quickly devoured dinner were all that remained of their tiring day of training. Kakashi was incredibly proud of Iruka. Not only had his evasive skills improved due to their dodge-kunai practice, but the few other exercises they had integrated into their daily routine had also progressed nicely. Today Iruka had added in a new skill that he wished to improve upon that he had once used to aide in a mission; A skill much like echolocation, where he could sense the presence of others much like a sonar image.

Kakashi was intrigued.

***Begin Flashback***

“So, it’s like the Byakugan…?” Kakashi inquired.

“Oh, um, no! It’s nothing as impressive as that, unfortunately. It doesn’t have as large a range, and I don’t actually ‘see’ anything… I guess it’s more like using my chakra to feel out around me. It’s not even an actual taught shinobi skill, just something I kind of figured out back when I used to cause trouble around the village as a kid.” Iruka rubbed his nose and tried to hide his awkward grin, embarrassed about his prankster past.

Kakashi chuckled. “Well, regardless of how you came by this skill, this is definitely a skill you should work to improve upon. Let’s test its effective range.” Kakashi said and darted off into the trees. “Okay, now Iruka, I want you to do your dolphin thing and tell me when you can or cannot sense me.”

“My WHAT noise!?” Iruka’s voice hiked up at the end of his question, emphasizing his confusion.

“You know… a dolphin. It makes an ‘EEh Ehh eHH-Ehh-EHH!’ noise and swims around in the –“

“I KNOW WHAT A DOLPHIN IS!!” Iruka shouted as he widened his stance and clasped his hands together to focus his chakra. “I just don’t know why you need to give it such a silly name…” Iruka muttered and began to sense Kakashi’s presence above him in the trees about 50 meters away. It was a good thing that Karuba had stayed home to rest a bit, because otherwise Iruka feared his focus would have been a bit strained trying to focus on 2 targets. “Okay, I can tell where you are. Keep going.”Iruka replied, so Kakashi weaved behind tree trunks and moved from ground to treetops in order to try to throw Iruka off his trail. But the chunin was adept in his skill, and only after about 500 meters did it cease effectiveness entirely. Kakashi made his way back and landed at the chunin’s feet his sandals skidding in the tan dirt.

“Iruka… That was quite impressive. I think with that talent up your sleeve there’s not a single pre genin student that would even DARE to cross you!” Kakashi patted Iruka’s shoulder and Iruka slouched over a bit, exhausted.

“Yeah? Well, good. Because that takes a bit out of me when I extend it out that far…” Iruka sighed and reached up to fix his pony tail. Although it wasn’t really working for him so he let out a frustrated sigh and pulled the band from his hair entirely. “Honestly…” He clucked his tongue before biting the hair tie between his lips and pushing back the dark brown fringes of hair that now tumbled haphazardly into his face. Bumps of stubborn hair fought his fingers as he combed through it, and Kakashi couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to pull it back so neatly without his eyesight. But perhaps having a comb would have helped… Kakashi snickered and stepped around behind Iruka brushing his own hand over Iruka’s head and combing through his hair, taking it in his grasp.

“Here, let me.” Kakashi offered calmly as he smoothed the lumps out and pulled it back to where his high pony usually sat on his head. It wasn’t too difficult to find where it was since Iruka’s hair had a crease in it where the hair was usually pulled back.

“Oh, mmf…” Iruka mumbled as he moved his hands away, but remained pensively posed as the slightly taller man tended to his unruly hair.

“Oookay, I think I’ve got it tamed now.” Kakashi said with a small smile. Iruka rolled his eyes and held still as not to cause Kakashi more trouble. Suddenly Kakashi’s breath was next to his ear and Iruka’s eyes widened in surprise. Kakashi still held his hair in one hand, but then Kakashi’s other hand slinked under his and reached up to gently pull the hair tie from his mouth. Iruka opened his now tightly clenched jaw to let the hair tie slip out as Kakashi stood back again to finish tying back Iruka’s hair.

‘Easy there Iruka, he just needed the hair tie…’ Iruka though, trying to calm himself, urging his heartbeat to slow down a bit.

“Boy do you have a lot of hair…” Kakashi teased energetically while Iruka calmed his senses.

“Like you’re one to talk!” Iruka retorted. “I could probably sense your hair alone from a mile away!” Iruka scoffed and turned around when Kakashi had clapped a hand to his back to signal he had finished. “I mean, for how much hair you have, I still have no idea how it defies gravity like that. What’s your secret? Some special jutsu you created? Chakra infused hair gel?” Iruka let out a hardy laugh and reached out to gently touch the tips of Kakashi’s heightened hairstyle.

“Oy, now, now, no need to get personal.” Kakashi chided as he stood still, his hands now pushed into his pockets. Kakashi watched Iruka’s expressions as they changed with each new sensation he felt beneath his fingertips.

Iruka’s mouth flattened into a cheesy grin as he began to focus more on the texture of Kakashi’s hair. And then when his fingers swirled down closer to the back of his head, Iruka paused and circled a finger back focusing on a spot near the back of his skull. A small gasp left Iruka’s mouth. “What’s that?” Iruka gaped, touching now with two fingers. “A scar?” Iruka asked and then frowned. “I mean, if it is you don’t have to tell me. Obviously many of us have scars, it’s not like I’m entitled to know or anything.” Iruka stopped then and began to move his hand away from Kakashi’s head. But Kakashi reached up and clasped Iruka’s hand within his.

“I don’t mind. Actually that one I got from Minato sensei; he whapped me good one time when I was being stubborn. Ha ha, I totally deserved it too.” Kakashi grinned and then impulsively moved Iruka’s hand to his face, with a quick motion he pushed his headband out of the way and gently placed Iruka’s fingers on top of the scar across his eye. Iruka gasped.

“Kakashi, I- uh…”

“It’s okay. It’s no different than you seeing it with your eyes, your sense of touch is your eyesight now. You may as well get used to it. I’m sure it gets lonely not being able to see faces.”

“Well…. When you put it that way.” Iruka said and hesitantly traced his finger down over Kakashi’s eyebrow, noting how the scar marred a path through his eye brow, halting all growth of the silver hairs he knew lined his features. Lower still Iruka felt the way Kakashi’s eyelid sloped over his eye, the scar creased and warped a bit due to the place where his eyelid folded over itself. Again, a gap appeared in the path of his scar this time along his eyelashes, and then it dipped down, down, until Iruka’s fingers finally met the black fabric of his mask. Iruka stopped, not daring to pass the unspoken privacy that that mask stood for.

But in silent response Kakashi simply pulled his hands from his pockets and took Iruka’s other hand raising it to his cheek. Iruka felt the warmth of Kakashi fingertips, and Iruka’s breath shuddered at the awkward new situation he found himself in with one of the most mysterious shinobi of the Leaf.

Curiosity killed the cat, of course. But, Iruka knew that satisfaction brought it back, so with curious fingers he smoothed his palms over Kakashi’s cheeks, cupping his face and rubbing his thumbs over his firm jaw line. Tracing every inch, recounting the way his face dipped and curved. Iruka ghosted his fingers across his chin, and then ever so gently over his lips. He felt warm humid breath across his fingertips, and he almost felt his heart stop.

Iruka wasn’t stupid, just because he was blind, didn’t mean he couldn’t feel others intentions, and he could sense it; Kakashi wasn’t blind to it either. Iruka looked to Kakashi’s eyes, without actually looking. Knowing that the Jonin was watching him. And so Iruka spoke his next words carefully.

“You know, Kakashi… even though I can’t see any more… when I touch you like this, I can feel the features of your face so clearly, that it’s almost as if I’m seeing you without your mask on…” Iruka held his breath, wondering what the man before him would think about his words. Would he understand that even though he didn’t care about and couldn’t see what was under that mask, that he cared about what was under Kakashi’s skin, about what was in his mind, and in his heart?

Iruka’s hands were still on Kakashi’s face, and in that stillness the faintest of grins could be felt curving the corners of Kakashi’s lips up fondly. And finally after a moment lasting eternity Kakashi reached up to clasp Iruka’s hands close to his face, and spoke only loud enough for Iruka to hear.

“It’s probably because, when it comes to you, Iruka sensei, I don’t wear a ‘mask’.” Kakashi replied slowly and tilted his cheek affectionately into the teacher’s palm, hoping that Iruka would understand.

And indeed he did.

Iruka’s fingers curled slightly, and Kakashi’s grip tightened over Iruka’s palms. Suddenly Iruka felt incredibly calm and at peace knowing that Kakashi in at least one way or another had become comfortable around him. Iruka knew himself well enough, but even with his extended time spent with the jonin, eating, training, and being vulnerable around him… could he really trust that Kakashi had begun to feel a similar attraction? Would it be silly to ask Kakashi to remain a larger part of his life even after Tsunade deemed Karuba and himself fit enough for Kakashi to return to his other numerous duties?

Iruka took a breath and spoke his mind. “Kakashi, you know as well as I do that I will be able to manage just fine once we report to Tsunade sama. Karuba and I will make a fine team, and you undoubtedly are needed back on missions. However…” Iruka paused, his fingertips fidgeting ever so faintly on Kakashi’s cheeks. “I wondered if you would still find it in you to come around from time to time. Not out of duty… but because I… WE… Karuba and I will miss you. And I don’t want this to be farewell.” Iruka took a breath because he knew this wouldn’t be simple.

“Farewell? Iruka sensei, I’m shocked. Never in a million years would I ever think of abandoning you as long as there is still a soul in my body. But I make no promises. You know as well as I how unpredictable our lives as shinobi can be.” Kakashi’s words seemed to grow sullen towards the end, and Iruka couldn’t help but feel his mood drop a bit as well.

He did know, though. He knew how prone to change their lives were, and he knew that a shinobi like Kakashi was often needed for missions, often intense and lengthy ones. So to this Iruka was not exactly shocked by Kakashi’s reply. However, the fear of future loss gripped him by the heartstrings, and through a curt nod and a tight lipped smile, Iruka conveyed his agreement to their promise, of sorts. And having gotten the tricky elephant out of the way, Iruka felt unhindered by their uncertain future.

“That’s good enough for me.” Iruka stated and with a sigh reclaimed the freedom of his hands and gave his hair tie one last tug to keep it secure. “Let’s go home, Kakashi. Karuba is waiting for us.”

“You mean Karuba is waiting for DINNER.” Kakashi announced and dawdled his pace slowly after Iruka’s quick footsteps. “Don’t dilute yourself into thinking he cares. For that’s the moment you have LOST the upper hand.”

“Pft. Well, if you walk any slower I’ll just give your share to Karuba. Last one home does the dishes!!!” Iruka said as he bolted forward.

Kakashi’s eye shot open at the lightning fast pace that Iruka set.

“Oh HELL no!” Kakashi shouted and straightened up quickly before lunging into a sprint. But Iruka’s laughter was already fading from earshot. Clearly Kakashi had let his guard down. Iruka had always been a grade A prankster. And Kakashi had lost more playground type games in the last few weeks than he would EVER admit to anyone. Especially Gai sensei.

***End Flashback***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for sticking with me this far! I promise things will get more interesting from here on out. I'm not sure how long I'll drag out the domestic bliss, but depending on how many ideas I have for that will decide how soon I get to the UTTER FUCKING ANGSTY BITS!!!!!!!
> 
> heehee......
> 
> But for now, without further adoooo, here is the doodle I did for this chapter! It's also how I came up with the name for this story!!! http://fav.me/da1yxq4


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SEX THINGS HAPPEN. DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT STUFF. BUT HEY, THE TAGS SAY AS MUCH SO I'M ASSUMING YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SIGNED UP FOR! XD Still this is your courtesy warning!
> 
> ENJOY YOUR SMUT YOU KINKY BASTARDS. ;P heh heh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ATTENTION!!! IMPORTANT UPDATE INFORMATION!!!
> 
> If you read this chapter before 5-29-17 then you will need to RE-READ this chapter due to large changes. Or skim it, or whatever floats your boat. But it wasn't just a spelling edit... so there are dialogue changes and the like.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and so sorry again for the changes... I just really felt like the flow of this fic was broken and I needed to fix things that were bothering me.
> 
> Keep an eye out for update chapters and I will make a list of all edited chapters on the notes section of chapter 1!!!!

Kakashi glanced at the clock for about the third time while he dried his hands on the kitchen towel, and sighed. “Well it’s no wonder that time seems to be moving so slowly… your clock is stopped, Iruka.” Kakashi rolled his eyes and walked over to the clock, tapping on the glass covering. It didn’t even budge. “Do you need some batteries? I can always have Karuba go get some.”

“Ah, no, that’s okay… I don’t really need that clock any more. I use my Braille one now if I need to tell the time.” Iruka said in a faint muffle as he reached far back into the cabinet to put away the soup pot they had just cleaned.

Kakashi nodded, he knew Iruka was used to his silences as they had known each other for many years prior to his loss of sight, and Kakashi felt he didn’t need to change everything in order to help Iruka adjust to his circumstances.

“Well, the dishes are done, what say you and I go tidy up the living room next?” Iruka said hiking up his sleeves a bit more and posing with his hands on his hips. He looked invigorated.

Kakashi, not so much.

“Eeeh??? But, we just finished training, making food, AND cleaning up after it! Don’t I get a break sensei?” Kakashi slumped and cowered behind Karuba who was laying silently on the floor. “Besides, Karuba is all worn out! He’s fast asleep!” Kakashi fluffed Karuba’s fur and made a point to pick up one of his paws and let it drop to the floor to prove his comatose nature.

“Yeah, uh huh, drop the innocent act. You just want to get out of cleaning up that MESS you think I don’t know about!”

“What mess? I don’t see any mess?” Kakashi feigned ignorance and gazed anywhere but at the living room.

“OH, REALLY?!” So you mean to tell me that the shredded newspaper scraps, and the ink on my carpet, and the suspiciously also missing ink well just HAPPENED to all slip past your all seeing eye? You must REALLY be getting old if a blind man can see more than you.” Iruka crossed his arms.

Kakashi cringed. He hated when Iruka knew exactly where to prod at his ego. But Kakashi couldn’t let Iruka know that…

“Oh, You mean THAT mess! I thought you meant…. Um…. KARUBA DID IT!” Kakashi announced and pointed at his sleeping pooch innocently snoozing on the wooden floor.

Iruka hiked an eyebrow and then drew in a level breath and stalked over to where Kakashi was crouching. Kakashi thought he could see a vein protruding on Iruka’s forehead. And then, suddenly Kakashi was being yanked by his ear across the room towards the living room.

“OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! WHATRYOUDOINGIRUKASENSEI? IMINNOCENTLETMEGO!”

“Ohhhhh Stuff it you big BABY!” Iruka raised his voice in annoyance and all but dragged Kakashi to the mop closet. “Here, use this old rag to scrub out the ink from my carpet, and you know what else needs doing, so do it YOURSELF. Honestly, you’re worse than most of my students! No wonder Minato sensei whapped you good when you were younger. Too bad none of that discipline stuck though. I’m going to have to retrain this old dog with some new tricks. And I don’t mean poor, sweet Karuba. Because your heartless lies just cleared him of all previous charges. Just remember if you plan on blaming someone else for a joint effort, then consider yourself FULLY RESPONSIBLE. Because I don’t put up with liars!”

Iruka tapped his foot on the ground while ranting down at Kakashi who was still sitting on the floor miffed at his predicament. Quite honestly this took an incredibly unentertaining turn from what he expected it to become… If anything he had thought that the teasing would have resulted in the three of them all cleaning together and laughing as they dabbed soap bubbles on each other’s noses while rolling around on the floor with Karuba. But this was hardly the Icha Icha plot he tried to create.

“Anyway, so while you clean up, I’ll be snuggling Karuba for an afternoon nap. You better be done by the time I get up. Come on, Karuba!” Iruka called and waited as Karuba awoke and came trotting around the corner from the kitchen. And wouldn’t you know it but that sly dog had the audacity to smirk as he walked past Kakashi and his shriveled old sponge. Boy, was Kakashi going to plan revenge for that.

\--------

A couple hours later Kakashi could hear Iruka stir from his slumber. And Kakashi dismissed his clones from the finishing touches needed for the cleaning of the living room. He had even gotten a couple chapters of Icha Icha read too! But no sooner did he hear Iruka’s shuffling did he hear a grunt and a bit of a struggle. Kakashi paused and listened, it didn’t seem like an issue, but he wasn’t exactly sure what the problem was either.

“…..ow….. oh, ow, ow, OW! –Kakashi! Can you come here a minute?” Iruka beckoned.

“Sure thing, on my way.” Kakashi said and stood with a grunt. He came up to the room and pushed the door open all the way, and lo and behold there sat Iruka with his arms up craned over his head and his shirt half over his face, and his tummy very much open to the air. Kakashi’s eyes shot wide and he even hand to hold his hand up a bit to keep in a snort.

“Uh, um… what seems to be the problem, Iruka sensei?” Kakashi managed to say without breaking into a laugh. But as soon as the muffled reply came from inside the blue polyester night shirt, Kakashi couldn’t help but grin and silently giggle.

Karuba sat on the bed, one paw on Iruka’s back, and then turned to look at Kakashi. “He’s stuck. I don’t have thumbs so I can’t exactly help with this sort of issue…” Kakashi simply blinked.

“I… uh…. My hair is caught in the button… can you get it un-stuck, please?” Iruka said awkwardly, his arms sagging a bit no doubt tired from the awkward position. Kakashi stroked his chin thoughtfully. This could be fun… might as well play around with this a bit, he thought.

“Hmmmm. I guess I could, if you give me a pardon on the cleaning punishment? I mean, it’s all finished, but I do want an apology for calling me worse than your students. In the very least I’m better than Naruto EVER was.” Kakashi hummed as he folded his arms contemplatively.

Iruka was silent for a moment. “I can’t do that Kakashi, there’s no proof that you weren’t just as much of a hellion as that boy, and furthermore, you are an adult and should be held to MUCH higher standards of responsibility and- ah! Ha, HEE HEE HEY!!! W-what are you DOING! S-Sto-haha-op that! Kakashi, NO! This OW, this isn’t faiiiiirrrr!” Iruka melted into awkward tangled laughter as Kakashi began to tickle him. Iruka kicked wildly, and Karuba yipped as he was hip checked off of the bed as Kakashi made sure to even the odds a bit by separating team Iruka/Karuba. Iruka now looked like a hiding turtle with long arms as he struggled to push Kakashi away from his sides and armpits, but with his hair entrapped in the damn plastic buttons of FRUSTRATION and PAIN, he couldn’t get a good grip on the wiry copy ninja. Kakashi was smirking and easily batting away Iruka’s restricted attempts to thwart his tickle attacks. However he wasn’t counting on Karuba hopping on his back and going for his ear.

“AH! OW! NO BITING! That’s not fair!” Kakashi protested and diverted one arm to wrestle Karuba away. But the change gave Iruka enough leeway to grab the collar of his shirt and yank it up and over his head freeing himself enough to grab Kakashi’s arm and fling him over his back, bouncing him on the mattress unceremoniously before biting his hand. “OW! What the hell Iruka! I said no biting!”

“All’s fair in WAR!!!!!!” Iruka shouted and grabbed a pillow and began to blindly start smacking at Kakashi’s person. Meanwhile Karuba leapt upon Kakashi midsection, knocking the wind out of him as he made sure that Iruka retained the upper hand in their domestic rivalry.

Then Iruka covered Kakashi’s face with the pillow and knelt on Kakashi’s arms so he could begin tickling Kakashi. “Ha! Take that, Kakashi!” Iruka shouted triumphantly, but stilled when there was no sound of strained laughter or protesting. “um…. Are you dead?”

“No. I’m just not ticklish.” Kakashi informed Iruka and then with a sweep of his legs tossed Karuba out of the way and in the same swooping motion arched his legs up and over his head and wrapped them around Iruka’s neck hooking around him and dragged him down before reversing their positions. “Why would you EVER think that a shinobi like me would EVER have vulnerability as simple as being ticklish?” Kakashi said with a sigh. “Honestly, sensei, I thought you knew me better?”

“Heh, I DO know you better.” Iruka grinned his face pressed to the side into the tangled quilt. “Karuba, fetch!” Iruka shouted and tossed a very iconic orange covered book at the window. Karuba with the speed of light bounded up and caught the book, just before it fell out the window. “Good boy, staaaaaay.”

“Awwww, can’t I just drop it?” Karuba whined. “There’s a nice puddle of mud down there, can I Pleaaaseeeeeee drop it?” Karuba begged as he wagged his tail.

“Youuuuuuu traitor!” Kakashi hissed as his visible eye narrowed. “No more biscuits for you…..”

“Whatever, Iruka gets me all sorts of treats these days. You’re old news, pops.” Karuba sassed and dangled the book a little lower.

“Iruka, make him stand down.” Kakashi gritted as he squeezed Iruka’s wrist and kneed his spine.

“Gee, I dunno, that knee in my back sure doesn’t sound like a please.” Iruka hummed despite his discomfort. Iruka knew he had the upper hand, just barely.

“Tsk! You suck.” Kakashi spat as he moved his knee, now simply straddling Iruka’s lower back.

“Oh, I’m sorry, was that supposed to be a please? Because I could have SWORN I heard you say ‘DROP IT’”

“NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!” Kakashi said as he grabbed Iruka’s hair and pulled his neck back locking his other hand on Iruka’s jaw.

The slightly choked gasp that Iruka let out made Kakashi’s heart lurch in his chest. Karuba whined and stepped back a bit from the window ledge. “Um… Kakashi… maybe this is going too far for a game…” Karuba said and was about to set the book down.

“NO, Karuba! Don’t you DARE!” Iruka’s voice shook. “We still can win this.” Iruka said and strained his neck just a bit to peer up at Kakashi, who glanced down at Iruka to see what he was up to. And the glint that Kakashi could see in Iruka’s sightless eyes was the most, determined, sadistic, sight he had ever seen from the chunin that it almost made him lose his nerve.

Then, without missing a beat the fire simmered and the dark brown eyes softened a bit, and seemed to grow a darker shade of brown. Iruka’s shoulders slacked and his back arched. The subtle shifting of his body made his hips jut upwards and from where Kakashi was poised above him, the motion was like a wave cresting on the ocean. Kakashi felt his stomach knot. And Karuba almost lost his lunch.  
“You see, Karuba? All this famous ninja thinks about is Icha this, and Icha that. But quite honestly, I bet he’s not used to RECEIVING any advances. Are you, Kakashi?” Iruka said a bit more confidently as Kakashi’s grip on his jaw slackened. The hand on his hair, however, only seemed to tighten. Perhaps that was a sign that he was winning the battle?

“I-Iruka sensei!” Kakashi stammered and the hand that was on Iruka’s jaw shot down to still the sensei’s hips.

“What? Too much for you?” Iruka purred entirely out of character and far too promiscuously to be befitting of a shinobi school teacher.

“That’s it. I’m OUT.” Karuba stated and dropped the book on the window sill and bolted from the room dragging the door shut with his teeth. “You two horn dogs can hash this out YOURSELVES. I’m going to go dig some holes in the yard or something.” Karuba’s toe nails clacked quickly away on the floor and then the doggy door flapped back and forth a few times as silence settled on the two shinobi left in the tangled mess that was the bedroom.

Then Kakashi released Iruka’s hair, and Iruka let his head hang limply down as he sucked in a few breaths more easily. Iruka rubbed at his throat and let out a little groan.

“Sorry, did I hurt you, Iruka sensei?” Kakashi said and lifted his weight up a bit. But Iruka did not crawl out from under him, he simply turned over, onto his back, flopping down limply as he pushed his messy hair out of his face and removed the half slumped hair tie, and tossed it to the floor.

“No. I’m fine…. Did I win?” Iruka rubbed at his face and leaned on his hand as he awaited Kakashi's reply.

Kakashi scoffed and rubbed his own face, snapping himself out of the memory of Iruka grinding his firm ass against his nether regions. Kakashi slumped forward, resting his hands on either side of Iruka and leaned down. “Yeah…… you won.” Kakashi whispered as he placed a kiss to Iruka’s lips. It was soft at first, and then as the confusion unknotted from their brows their expressions relaxed and were replaced with a far more wild sense of urgency. Their lips began to gape, and their hands meandered up to each other’s faces and down tracing hardened muscles, and the scarred surfaces of their bodies.

No gap was left between them as soon as Iruka shoved the dark fabric up and away from Kakashi’s torso. The break in their kisses was a mere requirement for the clothing to be tossed aside as they rejoined their bodies, Kakashi’s hand finding its way around Iruka’s lower back. Iruka arched into him and let his legs lock on either side of Kakashi’s hips, rutting their enlarged members against each other.  
“Kakashi, Kakashi….” Iruka panted as Kakashi kissed down Iruka’s maple coloured chest.

“Mmm….” Kakashi hummed as he poured affection over Iruka’s body. “If you tell me to stop, I will…. But I won’t like it…”

“No, I just… felt like saying your name.” Iruka sighed and hugged Kakashi’s head against his chest, holding him close enough to smother anyone who wasn’t an equally fit ninja.

Kakashi paused, something about that confession made his heart leap with joy, and although he didn’t know how to express it with words, he did know how to convey it with his body and so Kakashi continued to kiss Iruka’s body, this time opening up his mouth more and letting his teeth graze his skin just enough to incite the most subtle of breathy gasps from Iruka. And wanting more of that, Kakashi made his way to Iruka’s hips sucking on the skin there before moving on to higher ground again. This time he earned himself a whimper of displeasure from his sudden detour. But as Kakashi let his lips move towards Iruka’s neck to suckle the flesh there, Kakashi’s hand massaged its way from hip, to thigh and back up to Iruka’s ass, squeezing it firmly before slinking his hands back around to fondle Iruka’s erection.

“Uhn! Ah!” Iruka murmured as he let his fingernails carve a path down Kakashi’s back. Making its own place among the many red scars that made their homes there. Iruka took Kakashi’s jaw and tipped his face towards his and locked his lips with Kakashi’s again, this time slipping his tongue into Kakashi’s mouth, invading the copy nin’s most guarded secret and memorizing the taste of it. Iruka smiled around the kiss and then pulled Kakashi’s lip with his teeth, biting it a bit as he ran his fingers through Kakashi’s hair. With that combination of touches, Kakashi let out a soft deep moan.

The sound of that moan alone drove Iruka wild.

“Again, Kakashi. Moan for me again…” Iruka pleaded as he pushed himself up a bit. Spurred by his desires, Iruka set his hands loose upon the canvas that was Kakashi’s skin, first rubbing his thumb over Kakashi’s small nipples, the raised bump reminding him of reading Braille. It was like reading an entirely different form of manuscript. One where the story was still being written, and it was one that could end at any moment. Iruka didn’t ever want to stop reading this book that was Kakashi, and with great intensity Iruka once more twined his body with Kakashi’s.

Kakashi’s eyes clouded with ecstasy as Iruka pushed him back, and Kakashi fell into the covers, the two of them were like the motions of the high and low tides, warring for purchase of the shore. Kakashi loved how Iruka wasn’t just one or the other, he was just as unpredictable as he was when they met, and his stubbornness was all the more intense now that Iruka’s feelings were allowed out to play.

As Kakashi let himself be swept into the lulling current of Iruka’s hips rocking against his, Kakashi glided his hands over the golden chocolate of Iruka’s spine and pushed the wily strands of amber hair out of the way so that he could look into Iruka’s face as they moved their erect members between them tightly.

Kakashi reached down and wrapped his hand around both of their stiffened arousals and rubbed them together as they rut their hips together. The intense contact made his muscles in his groin tighten and his head fell back as another moan tumbled from his lips.  
Iruka’s face flushed deeper as he heard Kakashi’s heat soaked breath leave his lips in bliss, and equally Iruka moaned back, praising Kakashi for blessing his ears with more of what he wanted to hear. “Oh fuck~ Kakashi, so good…” Iruka arched his back and moved his hips faster, pressing together even closer. Iruka’s hand joined Kakashi’s in rubbing themselves together and it wasn’t long before Kakashi felt Iruka’s other hand squeeze his hip tightly as Iruka came with a deep relieved grunt of pleasure. “Ah! Ahhh… Oh my kami… Kakashi, Ah…” Iruka murmured as he rode out the waves of his orgasm.

Then, Iruka still in a high from his release, suddenly shifted back and leaned over, and feeling his way down Kakashi watched with bated breath and awe as Iruka eagerly sucked him into his mouth, slurping down the trails of cum that had splattered between them. Kakashi could hardly hold back as he watched Iruka lap up his own cum from his pulsing cock and sucked the beads of his own pre cum from the head.

“Oh fuck… Iruka… ah-“ Kakashi closed his eyes and combed back Iruka’s hair holding it back as Iruka licked from the base to the mushroomed head of his hard member. Iruka’s hand enveloped the shaft and worked up and down in time with his lips suctioned around him. It was warm and moist, and just the right amount of tight. And as Iruka settled into a faster pace Kakashi’s grip twisted in Iruka’s hair and he neared his own peak. “Ah! Iruka, fuck yes, don’t stop, I’m going to cum!” He gasped out loudly as he felt the pulsing rivulets of milky white seed shoot down the back of Iruka’s wanton throat.

A trail of saliva slinked down the edge of Iruka’s chin as he wiped his mouth gasping to catch his breath. Kakashi watched as Iruka sat up, a satisfied smirk pulling at the edges of Iruka’s lips. And then he carefully navigated his way forward, slinking over top of Kakashi’s body, nearer until he was able to guide Iruka’s chin to his lips. They sank into a deep tender kiss, sighing contently as they lay hot and enamoured.

“I’m going to owe Karuba a LOT of treats later for putting up with this, aren’t I?” Iruka muttered against Kakashi’s chest as he snuggled in next to Kakashi totally exhausted.

“Yup. And about a million belly rubs and about 20 tennis balls.” Kakashi said with a sigh and pushed his sweaty bangs out of his face.

“Mmm…. I guess I can deal with that. But only if you take responsibility and pay for half of the treats and toys.”

“Whaaaat? But he’s YOUR dog now!” Kakashi protested weakly.

“Oh, so then you DON’T want to have sex with me. Okay, I guess we can just forget about-“

“Okay! Okay, fine. Deal!! Gosh, you don’t let up for a minute, do you Iruka?”

“Nope. Not when I have TWO dogs to train.”

“…………OY!” Kakashi interjected and pinched Iruka’s arm.

Iruka simply snickered and pinched Kakashi’s side back.

“I need another nap now….” Iruka sighed and curled closer to Kakashi despite how warm they both were. And Kakashi hugged Iruka closer too, because he didn’t mind and he was quite tired too…. But…. That didn’t stop him from making a clone to go grab the Icha Icha book from the window sill and leap out the window to go stash it in a more secure place.

“I heard that.” Iruka murmured.

“Shush you, just go to sleep.” Kakashi rolled his eyes and smushed a pillow over Iruka’s ears before drifting off into a nice light dream where he and Iruka were simply laying outside watching the clouds together, Iruka with his vision back again…. If only it were possible… Kakashi thought.  
\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, so, soooooOOOOOOoooOOOooOooooOooooo PLEASE leave a comment and tell me how you liked this chapter. It's a big romantic turning point for the two of them and I want to know how you guys like how I wrote it? Is it in character enough? does it seem like 'them' (Enough)? or at least is it consistent with how I have been writing them up until now? I don't want Iruka to seem too 'soft' and I don't want Kakashi to seem 'cold' or socially inept. I think they are both smart, adulty adults who like to act like BIG KIDS (most of) some of the time.....
> 
> Anyway, here is your fun fluffy smut because sooooooooon I will be getting to more of the plotty angst stuff....... Hang on to your tissue boxes!!!!!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More time with just Iruka and Karuba. And Iruka reveals something shocking.

In the days ahead Tsunade made the expected decision to have Kakashi resume his regular mission duties, and with sadness of parting the trio was down to two. Hakuna Mattata and all that… But Iruka knew that this was for the best. He would get many other things accomplished that had not required Kakashi’s presence. In fact, some things were far more difficult to practice with him hovering over him like a mother hen; despite Kakashi trying to do so inconspicuously. 

Iruka and Karuba quickly became so inseparable that the village had begun to refer to the both of them as a single unit. “Iruka-sensei and Karuba.” The most adorable sight to see, Iruka’s smile had returned and its brilliance shimmered in tandem with the golden highlight of his tanned skin. And Karuba’s smile was just as bright what with his canine teeth shining white with the slight yellowing of age and saliva dangling from his chops. And as the pair would make their rounds about the market and other lively shops, it was almost as if the store owners were not having a good day until the two came to visit. Karuba was especially delighted by this because the shop owners had treats for him, and the children gave him pats. He would more or less drag things out until Iruka was practically leading HIM out of stores to make it home by dinner time. And of course what better motivator for motion than food at the finish line.

So they would calmly walk down the dirt paths towards home, and discuss things at random, such as the way certain things sound, and what kind of smell the rain had today. Other times they would delve into deeper discussions such as the kinds of concerns they had about the village, and Iruka worrying about his students. As of yet he hadn’t spoken to any of them, mostly because he knew… he knew that their little hands, and their loving words would never bring back his vision, and that all he would want to do is cry. And that was not the kind of reunion he wanted with his students, wonderful and understanding as they may be. Still, he knew that he would see them again. He just wanted it to be as their TEACHER.

“Say… Iruka, what if we taught together? I’m your eyes now, more or less, but you still have ears and a nose and your echo location is fantastic, I’m sure that together we would keep those hooligans out of trouble.”

“Hmm, I suppose, but even still, paperwork would be difficult, and it’s not like having them do everything in Braille is very practical. I’m concerned because there are many other able bodied teachers who can do what I do just as well. Perhaps my wanting to teach again is self centered and not what’s best for the children of Konoha’s future…”  
Karuba was silent, because really Iruka had a point. It was difficult to justify his return considering that the education of Konoha’s youth was so important, even at such a young age, an education lacking in even the slightest of ways could spell the death of young shinobi once they went to the chunin exams.

“But… I’m not giving up yet. I’m sure that I will find a way to be just as good if not better than the other teachers. In fact… I’m going to be meeting with someone who I think will be able to help me achieve just that.”

“Really? You are? Who?” Karuba inquired taking pause in his step to look up at Iruka in bafflement. It was the first time he had heard Iruka speak of seeking help from someone other than Tsunade or Kakashi since he had met him.

“Maito Gai.”

“….” Karuba was speechless. Quite possibly this was the most shocking thing that Iruka had done yet. Even more baffling than when he had pointed out that Karuba had been gaining weight and perhaps needed a diet, or less treats! “What?” Karuba choked on the word. There was no way that Iruka truly meant that. He must be joking. What could he POSSIBLY learn from that fitness obsessed maniac?! Everything that Karuba knew about the guy was obnoxious and centered around challenging Kakashi every chance he got.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. I want someone who is an expert in things that can be done without ninjutsu, or genjutsu, and as far as physical prowess goes, he’s the only shinobi I know that is also a phenomenal teacher. Just look at Lee, and Ten Ten. Those two know their taijutsu. And I’m sure that Gai could think up a few ways for me to shape up in spite of my blindness. Or rather, find a way to utilize my blindness to my advantage. He’s creative in pushing the limits of the body, and I’ve got to toughen up if I want to be a teacher again.”

“Well… you’re not wrong… but… I why would you pick him and not someone a bit…. more calm?”

Iruka turned his face towards the sun, letting the warm afternoon rays soak into his skin. “Because I trust him. I know he will not look down on me because of my blindness, and that he will do everything in his power to help me achieve my goal. He’s that kind of guy.”

“Hmm, well I hope you’re right about that. He still seems a bit over exuberant, but he does throw the best fetch balls out of anybody. So I don’t mind coming along if you’ll ask him to play fetch with me.”

Iruka chuckled. “It’s a deal. I’ve scheduled our training a day from now. So make sure you rest up. I’m sure he’s gonna run us ragged.”

“You mean he’s going to run YOU ragged. I’m just going for a game of fetch.”

“I don’t know about that Karuba. You did say he throws really well.” Iruka smirked slyly.

Karuba slumped. “Oh, yeah….”

Iruka let out a long laugh and patted Karuba on the back. “All right. Let’s get back. We need to eat. I’m starving. You’re lucky the people in town just keep feeding you. I still have to buy everything!”

“It’s cuz I’m so cute. I’m irresistible.” Karuba wagged his tail and pranced.

“Yeah, yeah, lover boy. Just keep eating, and we’ll see how long that lasts!”

“How rude! I’ll always be cute, no matter what.”

“Uh huh. Whatever you say Karuba.” Iruka teased with a snicker. And in retaliation Karuba bit the harness and yanked, causing Iruka to stumble before Iruka regained his balance.

“Hey! Woah, not fair! Don’t pick on a blind man!”

“Then don’t pick on the service dog!” Karuba retorted and trotted away without Iruka.

“Oy! Karuba. Get back here! Damnit! Karubaaaa!!!!” Iruka hollered and pulled his cane out of his bag. “Darn ninken, it’s nice that they talk until you really wish they COULDN’T talk…” And with that Iruka grumbled the rest of the way back to his house. Where Karuba was laying in wait on the porch. Basking in the sun.

The little shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well everyone. I'm out of my writing slump. I applaud your patience, and thank you for the support!
> 
> The editing is DONE, and so the version that is out NOW (6-4-2017) is the current corrected version. Yay! So all is good. And the only corrections made were in chapter 11 and 12. Everything before or beyond that is the same/is current.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry that I make such short ones. I guess that's just my average attention span for chapters.
> 
> Also, I'm trying to break this terrible habit of mine of leaving chapters off on GOOD notes all the time. I always put suspense stuff in the middle and give answers by the end... perhaps because nothing super suspenseful has happened yet. In any case I DO have some super suspenseful parts planned for this story, so when I put them in.... you'll KNOW. MUAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHHAHAAAAAAAA (evil author cackle) I can't waittttt!
> 
> I hope you all are excited!!! See you next chapter!
> 
> And as always geek out in the comments section. I love it and it fuels my hands for writing!!!!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more juicy details are revealed about Iruka's attackers, and Gai makes his first appearance, bringing some much needed comic relief, as well as some entertainment to Iruka's temporarily Kakashi-less days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooooo....... I.... I have been incredibly inactive. I have mostly NOT been thinking about this fic because it was starting to irk me due to a plotting oversight on my account. HOWEVER. After a few very..... motivating fan messages on my AO3 I finally slapped some sense into myself, AND my fic, and hammered out the details that were holding me back from writing. And thus, I have broken out of my self induced writers blockadeeeeeeeee. And should hopefully keep giving you some literary sustenance on a more regular basis than I have been. I should stop promising to write often, but I find that if I don't make promises, I wouldn't do very good at trying my best to keep writing. I really doubt my abilities you see.... I kind of see parts where my writing shines, like flashback and anything angsty or poetically written, but then... I find myself struggling through some of the MEAT of my story. In any case, I really appreciate each and every one of you who have been encouraging me, and helping me brainstorm my plot. I'd love to start hearing some fan predictions regarding Iruka's circumstances! I want to know what's reeling inside of your brains! It might help me keep everything moving! In any case.... if I am still working on this fic by the time next April rolls around I will be moving to Alaska at that time, and that will either mean I have a shit ton of time to write, or am fighting off bears constantly.... So, once settled I should have all the time in the world to write and do my art, because that's literally why I'm moving there. I get to do my dream job of being a housewife, artist, and writer, etc. I hope you all get something memorable from reading my story, and I know I'm unreliable, but I would love to write shorts, or do art for people. Please commission me! I love to do poetry too! Let me know! I'm trying to get word out there that I have many talents just waiting to share with the world. Now, without further ado, here is the chapter you ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!!

In the tall dense trees surrounding Konoha a team of 3 shinobi gathered to discuss a plan of dark intentions.

“So, you’re sure that Sharingan Kakashi left on a mission?” The one with his hitai-ate pulled loosely over his nose and mouth asked.

“Positive, I was there when he accepted it at the mission desk.” The other responded as he glanced around the forest pulling his hood lower over his brow.

“It’s not a ploy to lure us in, is it?” The third asked gruffly. “That teacher isn’t afraid of self sacrifice, he probably told the Hokage everything he knows.”

“True, he’s no coward. But what little he does know won’t be enough. In any case, he won’t do anything with our threat of killing the children we’ve kidnapped hanging over his head.” The second guffawed. “He doesn’t know that we need them alive. Let’s use that to our advantage.”

“But now the Hokage’s sure to know that children are our targets.” The first butt in doubtfully. “We should have made him mute too!”

“Could have just _killed_ him. But instead we have THIS mess to clean up. Why did we leave him alive anyway?” The third scratched his head in frustration.

“You dolt!” The second leaf shinobi said and smacked the third over the head. “He’s one of the most respected teachers in the village. If we killed him there’s no way the village would handle this so quietly. The less action we take the better. If the village masses are alerted that children are being targeted, then the plan is off, and you know what happens if we don’t fill our quota.”

There was a moment of silence as the three mulled over their dire circumstances. The brisk night wind blew through the fragrant pines and oaks, sending a chilling wind down the collars of their shirts and made a few of them think about their families back home in the village.

“But now that Iruka sensei is out of commission the school will be in disarray and there’s sure to be another opportunity to strike. We just need to kidnap one last child and then we can go back to our lives in the village with no one the wiser.”

“Indeed. But this village is smart. Too smart. We need to make our move soon. While Kakashi is away, and Iruka sensei is distracted would be preferable. He’s trying to become a teacher again, we should finish this before that happens. There’s no telling how difficult this could get if he’s reinstated as a shinobi, and teacher.”

 

-  -  -

 

The moist air of the morning was beginning to lift as the sun climbed towards noon. Iruka had already ran his morning errands, and Karuba was running around with a ball in the small plot behind Iruka’s house that could hardly be called a back yard. Iruka fumbled with his vest pockets checking that all his shinobi tools were where they ought to be. And with a somewhat frustrated sigh he nodded to himself having successfully dressed himself in no less than at least doubly as long as it used to take him pre-blindness.

“Good enough.” He spoke to himself, trying to be positive, and made his way over to his bedroom window and called down towards the yard. “Karuba! It’s time to get going.”

“Got it. I’ll meet you out front!” Karuba ruffed and spat his grimey ball to the ground with a unappetizing splat. His padded feet kicking up mud as he made a hyperactive sprint towards the front, leaping over a bush as if he were a race horse and skidded around the corner of the house leaving a small splash of mud on the off white house siding.

By the time Iruka had walked down from his room Karuba was in the entry way, muddy paws preceding the trail of paw prints that were being streaked across the floor by Karuba’s wagging tail. “Ready to go?” Karuba asked and licked his nose, a bit of mud coming off of it.

Iruka was silent.

“Iruka?” Karuba asked, his tail stilling.

“Tell me you did NOT just come in here with your muddy paws. You KNOW that the back is a mud pit…. Honestly.” Iruka knelt down and held out his hand, motioning for Karuba to hand him his paw.

“Oh. Um-“ Karuba said and reluctantly placed his paw in Iruka’s hand. Iruka groaned deeply as his slid his hand up Karuba’s leg, realizing that the damage would take at LEAST 20 minutes to get him cleaned up.

“I neeeeever should have let you go back there. Dog’s just love to get dirty, and apparently a ninken is no exception. I was a fool to think otherwise. Hurry back outside and get me the hose. You’re not tracking any more mud into my house. You’re gonna have to tolerate a cold bath for now until I get most of this mud off of you.”

“Uh… Iruka…” Karuba said, pausing at the doggy door.

“Not now, Karuba. We’re already going to be late for our meeting with Gai sensei. I’m going to give him a call and let him know that we’ll be a little late.”

“About that, Iruka…. I don’t think a phone call will be necessary…” Karuba sniffed at the doggy door.

“Oh no…. You don’t mean-“

 **KnockKnockBLAM!** Suddenly the door flung wide open. Karuba narrowly escaped becoming a pancake by aligning himself with the doggy door so he was ass inside the house, and bug eyes in shock out the front. His head whipped around and stared up at Gai sensei who was now ALSO tracking a bit of mud into Iruka sensei’s entryway, and Iruka was wide eyed in horror matching Karuba’s as Gai bellowed his greetings and made himself known to the entire neighborhood in the process.

“Greetings my newest pupil!!! You were late in our rendezvous, so I decided to meet you here to begin our very first day of training together!!!! Come! Let us begin with haste!!!”

Iruka was speechless, the entire neighborhood was quiet, the birds promptly shut the fuck up, and Karuba whimpered slightly, though not daring to even move a muscle yet.

Iruka blinked a few times, and then recovered moderately quickly. He could work with this, as a teacher, you learned to go with the flow sometimes. Plans would change, he would adapt. As any good shinobi would. “Good morning Gai san. Er, I suppose I should call you Gai sensei now. I was just about to call you. I ran into a bit of a delay while getting ready to leave the house to come and meet you. I’m sorry that I’m late for our first day…”

Gai laughed loudly, throwing his head back. Iruka wondered if he ever got neck pain, or a hoarse voice. “Think nothing of it my newest pupil. The run here was a most pleasant warm up. Shall we begin our rigorous training post haste, the day waits for no man!”

“L-Let me just rinse off Karuba quick and then we can get going…” He shot Karuba the stink eye blindly and shooed Karuba out of the doorframe. He would have to wipe up his floor later. Apparently his time was not his own any longer.

“Let me assist you! Things will go much quicker if we work together as a unit!”

Karuba yipped and tucked tail as he ran away from the house, bounding over the fence and bolting faster than a kunai towards freedom, and away from Maito Gai, and his fearfully intense water hose tai jutsu.

Iruka wasn’t even that mad. Even he would have made himself scarce if Gai sensei was threatening him with a hose.

Then Gai whipped around, hose still in hand. “Actually, this gives me an idea! Iruka sensei! How do you feel about playing a little dodge and defend, water style training!?”

“W-wHAAAT?!” Iruka took it back. Karuba was right, he should have picked someone ‘more calm’ to train with. This was going to be torture. ‘ _I was nuts thinking this was a good idea.’_ Iruka thought as Gai started monologuing about this wonderful day of training he had with Team Guy when they all used water guns and ran around Konoha playing a sort of capture the flag style game that supposedly only ended when all of the water in Konoha got used up. A tall tale Iruka figured. But… Knowing Gai, maybe there was some sort of truth to the story. After all, his reputation wasn’t just for show.

Iruka sighed and rubbed the back of his head. Softly and to himself he muttered “I’m tired already, and I haven’t even left my porch yet…” And with a deep breath and a curt nod he started confidently down the steps to trot after Gai who was heading towards the market to get themselves supplies for their water work out.

In any case, Iruka knew today would be interesting, and no doubt productive. He appreciated that Gai wouldn’t go easy on him. And that’s why he chose him next as the sensei he trusted most to help him in his recovery. Kakashi was good friends/rivals with Gai and that helped Iruka to trust in his decision that Gai was well suited to this difficult task.

-  -  -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Thank you for putting up with my incredibly irregular and far too short updates, thank you for encouraging me, thank you for being so kind, and so supportive, and as always I love you guys, you are the best.
> 
> Keep me accountable. I will not abandon this story. I just simply tend to get stuck...
> 
> Oh, and you can stalk me and request art from me on my tumblr! https://alrtist.tumblr.com/tagged/alrtist
> 
> Have a most auspicious day my readers! I wish you all happiness! *throws kisses and flashes a Maito Gai smile*


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka's demeanor has shifted in an indefinable way, but if Kakashi had to settle on a word for it, it would be:
> 
> Despair.

 

With the focused intensity that came with being around THE Maito Gai sensei, Iruka made leaps and bounds in the way of physical progress, alongside him in his efforts was also Karuba, who impressed both Iruka, and Gai with his ability to adapt and be right where he needed to be when Iruka needed him. Which was a beautiful thing to behold, and Gai was often awed by the two when they worked in tandem.

The weeks flew by, skimming past the pair like a bird’s wing on the surface of a pond as it swooped towards survival of the fittest. When the two combined their abilities they made a remarkable line of defense and Gai suggested that they would indeed be key components to the success of intel gathering missions.

The two were quiet, stealthy, and could hear and locate things from great distances between their pooled skills of hearing, echolocation, smell, Karuba’s sight, and they had even created a form of private communication with high frequency pulses that Iruka would emit with his chakra echolocation that would signal what he needed Karuba to do without even uttering a word.

The sheer silence in which the two could work was nerve wracking on Gai and it took every ounce of his focus to locate the two sometimes. Most of the time it was only as they were already within striking distance that he would finally peg their location, and by then it was combat time. There was no avoiding those two. If they were trying to find you, it was guaranteed that they would.

In fact over the 4 months that passed, Iruka had opened up to more and more people to assist him in his re-training. And with pride and dignity Iruka gleaned intelligence and tips from comrades he had worked with in the past, and even some of his own students. Iruka’s confidence in himself had developed in a way that most could only describe as remarkable, and perhaps due to his new lease on life. But Karuba knew that it was something much more close to his heart that motivated Iruka; his students. He missed teaching, and the longer he was unable to protect and nurture the future generations of leaf shinobi, the longer he would blame himself for what happened. And in training himself anew, he was determined to ensure that nothing would ever happen to his students ever again.

So each day, Iruka got up, and prepared to fight for the future of Konoha, and for the future generations of the hidden leaf that he promised himself he was going to teach again.

\---

During the second month of Iruka’s training with Gai, Kakashi had returned from his first long away mission since Tsunade had approved of Iruka’s progress with Karuba. And despite the joy that came with seeing each other again, Kakashi could still tell that Iruka was distracted, and far more focused on his training than on chit chatting. Kakashi of course, understood intuitively and rolled with it, pitching in to help Iruka train when he wasn’t being sent out on missions by Tsunade.

One morning while the two were out in the woods training together alone, Iruka seemed more strung out than ususal, which concerned Kakashi quite a bit since he could always tell when Iruka was having an off day. And Iruka hadn’t spoken since they left the house, which wasn’t normal for Iruka. Besides that, Iruka’s gaze was intense, focused, but also distant. So Kakashi decided to ask Iruka about what his plans were once he got to whatever level of skill he was trying to acquire.

Iruka completed his pushups in utter deafening silence, and by the time Kakashi had begun helping Iruka with his sit ups Kakashi couldn’t take the silence anymore. So he decided to breach the topic himself. And if Iruka beat him up, well then at least it was better than silence.

“Iruka sensei- 994. You know as well- 995. As I that- 996. You have been mak- 997. –ing incredible progress, and that- 998. even I believe that you are- 999. Ready to begin taking miss- 1000. –ions again.”

Iruka slowed and dropped his arms behind himself, holding himself up by his elbows, and letting his legs relax out of Kakashi’s grip that was now lifted from his feet.

“And I know you want to be a teacher, but perhaps you should just settle for being an active shinobi instead? You could always volunteer at the school, or help in other ways.” Kakashi sat back, quietly waiting for the sensei to speak. But instead Iruka blinked once before his brow furrowed slightly in an almost cold way. Iruka said nothing but stood up to brush off his pants, then turned away from Kakashi to stretch his back and arms, alternating between toe touches and long over the head reaches.

Then softly, almost in a choked detached kind of way Iruka spoke bluntly. “Oh? I should settle, should I?” Iruka let out a sarcastic sad chuckle, and mentally cursed himself for being so spiteful. Kakashi didn’t know. He hadn’t told him about the circumstances that ended him up blind. And even if he had, none of this was easy to understand. On top of that, Iruka and Tsunade agreed to keep the matter on a strictly need to know basis, and Kakashi had not been put on that list yet. Iruka insisted on it. He couldn’t stand to have Kakashi knowing how weak he was to have let down the village so horribly when it needed him. But now that shame was bubbling over in a way that Iruka couldn't contain and no matter how much progress he made it didn't change the fact that there were children, innocent children, suffering because he had failed to notice, and then, when faced with the scum responsible, he hadn't stood a chance. He was a fool, and a failure. He didn't deserve to wear a leaf headband ever again.

“I mean, I only failed this village, and ended up letting children-“ Iruka paused, biting back emotions that bubbled up. “I ended up endangering and letting my own student’s- students that I vowed to protect and enable to defend themselves – get taken from right in front of me.” Iruka clenched his fist and squeezed at the collar of his shirt, which seemed much tighter suddenly; like he was suffocating.

Kakashi froze. His mind racing, yet somehow deadlocked on what Iruka had just said. What was he talking about? Kakashi slowly stood up. Whatever this had to do with Iruka’s attack, it ran far deeper than physical injury. And he had seen this kind of blind focus before. Something had reached into Iruka and tore at a piece of him that made him, him. And twisted it into shame, and agonizing self hatred.

“Iruka….?” Kakashi took a step forward, carefully, sensing the tension coming off of the sensei like porcupine quills. “I don’t understand… I- you never told me. Can you tell me? I want to know…” Kakashi put a testing hand on Iruka’s shoulder. “I want to help.”

Then Iruka turned around, ever so slowly, and the golden flecks that usually lit up Iruka’s eyes were nowhere to be found. Instead, an incredible depth of darkness had taken root there, in the deep brown disks that had retreated into a compacted ring surrounding the wide blown pupils of his eyes that now shone like polished onyx in the center of a damp imploding universe.

 _‘I never should have left.’_ Kakashi thought. _‘I left him alone to fight this battle himself without knowing how much it was hurting him, and now look, he’s killing himself over it.’_ And whatever battle Iruka was fighting through emotionally didn’t have closure, there was still something lurking in the shadows of Konoha, causing Iruka’s nightmares, and pushing him towards self destruction.

Kakashi would make them pay, whoever it was, and if Iruka wouldn’t tell him, he would find out on his own, no matter what it took.

But Iruka halted Kakashi from barreling too far into his own mental vendetta’s by answering him. “I can tell you… but I already know that Tsunade is doing her best to fix what I messed up, so you have to promise me that you won’t do anything stupid, or try to be a hero. There’s a lot more at risk than you are aware of right now, okay?” Iruka’s eyes still seemed too deep and too dark for Kakashi to feel relieved by Iruka’s openness to discuss his ordeal. But Kakashi would have to figure out what to do about bringing the light back to Iruka’s eyes later, right now Kakashi had to prepare to give his undivided attention to Iruka. And if Iruka’s night terror screams were anything to go on, this was going to be difficult to hear in detail. Kakashi wondered if his heart could take it. But he supposed he would find out.

Iruka wiped at his eyes, smearing away the dampness and began to take a step backwards in order to start heading back to the house, but Kakashi caught the tips of his fingers gently. “Um, Iruka?” Kakashi said, mentally smacking himself for reaching out so suddenly, but Iruka looked so alone and so hurt that he wanted to comfort him.

“Yes, Kakashi san?” Iruka said pausing to turn his attention back to the copy nin.

“You know that nothing you say about the accident will change the way I feel about you, right?” Kakashi said, his brows shifting a bit in an almost pleading expression that Iruka couldn’t see but hoped he would sense.

Iruka sighed. “Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep, Kakashi.” Iruka said, giving a faint forced smile. Whom Iruka was trying to reassure with his smile, he wasn’t quite sure. But Iruka’s doubt in his words shocked Kakashi enough that his fingertips slipped from Iruka’s. And the cold emptiness that settled in on Kakashi sent a chill down his spine that didn’t go away the entire walk home from the training grounds.

Kakashi couldn’t quite name the feeling, but if he had to settle on something, it would be:

Dread. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wellllllll, I guess my writers block is GONEEEE, because I'm already well on my way to writing the next chapter!!!! Lucky you!!!! Apparently I go in spurts!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> details. details. details.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally just finished this and I HAVE TO GO TO WORK. So I did not edit it for spelling or anything. I'm sure I have some terrible errors in there, I will edit them later!!! I should have left for work 10 minutes ago. but fuck priorities, am I right?!?!?!
> 
> BYeeeeeeeeee! enjoy the chapter!!!! things are finally starting to heat up.

It was quiet at the Hokage tower later that same afternoon. Well that is until a stir started up in the hallway leading to Tsunade’s office. “Kakashi, No! Wait, Tsunade baba hasn’t even had her third cup of coffee yet. It’s suicide going in there right n-“ The door whammed open and Tsunade looked up with bags under her eyes and a black mug of coffee held up to her lips. Kakashi couldn’t tell if her coffee was just dark or if she liked the mug black to fool herself that the coffee was working better than it was capable of.

A silence fell over the room for a moment as Shizune fidgeted in the shadow of Kakashi standing before her. She glanced at Tsunade in an attempt to convey that she tried, but failed to stop him. Tsunade nodded at Shizune and without a moment to beat, Shizune dipped out faster than she had arrived.

Kakashi nodded respectfully at Tsunade, and Tsunade held up one finger, keeping Kakashi from speaking until she took one more lonnnnnng sip of coffee, effectively draining the mug.

“And what might have you here in a tuff so early in the day?” She replied, grabbing the pot of coffee and filling her glass again. Kakashi watched her as he collected how he wanted to broach this topic, as every fiber in his body wanted to shout and demand the answers.

“It’s in regards to Iruka’s accident. He told me about it, so now I want to know everything that you know about the kidnappings, the injury, what you’re going to do about it next, all of it. And I also want to help.” Kakashi took a few steps closer to the Hokage, but never removed his hands from his pockets, for fear that he might lose his composure.

“So he told you….” Tsunade said calmly with an unsurprised sigh. “I was wondering if he would. Apparently he trusts you a great deal. This has all been very hard for him, you know. He blames himself for this.”

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eye. This whole situation was making him tired. “Tsunade baba, please tell me that there is another more pressing reason that you didn’t tell me about the circumstances around Iruka’s attack, other than that he asked you to…”

“It wasn’t my place to tell you. Yes, he did ask, but I was under no professional obligation to tell you anything, as the mission doesn’t concern you.” Tsunade’s eyes bore a warning into Kakashi’s lone gray eye.

“Doesn’t concern me?!” Kakashi blurted. “Everything about this concerns me! Tsunade I-“

 “You what? Iruka finally entrusted the horrors of what happened to him and now you’re here to set everything right again, are you?” She diverted her gaze back down to her paperwork for a moment, gathering it up and setting it aside to then pull towards her another stack of files. “You think this is a simple mission do you? Think that The Great Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan is just the right shinobi for the job? That had you been placed on the case that you’d have wrapped this up in a day? Don’t objectify me, I already have the right people working on this. It’s my top priority right now!” Tsunade was fuming, but it was more in a pitying kind of way. Like she didn’t blame Kakashi for his lack of knowledge of just how deep this whole thing ran.

“Tsunade baba, with all due respect I wasn’t-“ Kakashi tried to defend himself, he wasn’t trying to insult her capabilities as a leader, he simply wanted to help stop these criminals! But he was silenced by the deafening PLOP of a huge file titled: ‘Konoha Kidnappings’.

“That’s the file. The file regarding all the kidnappings in Konoha in the past 9 years, and there is a separate file that outlines the ones we think are related to this case specifically. Sit. Read it. Memorize it. This has been going on right under our noses for years and until Iruka stumbled upon that kidnapping we had no clue that it was all related to something bigger. Iruka paid a heavy price indeed. Let’s be thankful that they left him alive, although we don’t know why they spared him just yet. Which is why it was so important that you were with him during his early days of recovery.”

“So… you _were_ going to put me on the case?” Kakashi inquired, as he hesitantly pulled back a corner of the large manila folder that was rather tattered from its girth.

“Of course. But there were other matters I needed you to attend to prior to getting you up to speed on the matter, and yes, Iruka sensei’s request to keep the circumstances as need-to-know as possible was taken into consideration.”

“I see… But why didn’t you at least let me know that there was still a possible threat to Iruka sensei? Perhaps I would have noticed something important.”

“You’re so observant that you would have noticed anything suspicious even if you didn’t know the details. Besides, you being kept in the dark also protected Iruka. They threatened to harm the children if any action was taken against them before the end of June.”

“You’ve been contacted by them?! June? Why June.” Kakashi cocked his head to the side.

“Apparently they need one more child, and schools let out in June. It makes sense that their kidnappings would be more difficult come summer if they are a part of the school staff, or someone who has easy access to it. The children are most commonly taken from there. There have been no witnesses besides Iruka, and as he probably told you, he didn’t see who they were, only knows their voices.” Tsunade’s eyes looked tired and heavy just talking about the situation.

“Right, so if we get any suspects, Iruka should be able to identify them by voice. And that’s why he could still be a target. So what’s the plan for now?” Kakashi wanted to know more about what Tsunade WAS doing about the looming attack.

“Well, these guys have been laying low ever since the last kidnapping, and in the past they certainly had no problem taking their time to nab children, because many of them were targeted because they either had no family, or were bad children to begin with. They aimed for shinobi children though, so we can assume this has something to do with special skills or bloodline traits. This has Orochimaru’s fangs all over it, which is why we have to handle this without any loose ends, because he could easily cancel the mission and vanish along with the children he’s taken. Really, this situation is incredibly delicate and must be handled with the utmost care.” Tsunade pointed her index finger down on top of the files, stiffly tapping them to emphasize the words ‘utmost care’.

“So are we trying to catch them when they strike again? Do they always grab them from the school?” Kakashi was really hoping that he could get enough out of Tsunade so that he wouldn’t have to read too much of those large files. They had to weigh at least 5 pounds! That was like… THREE Icha Icha Novels!

“Yes, but they don’t always strike at the school, so that makes this harder to pin down. I’ll let you know if I hear anything in regards to possible targets, or locations. But the school is the most common grab spot. So…” Tsunade sighed heavily. This case was going to put her in an early grave. Soldiers and adults was one thing, but kidnapping and probably doing terrible things to children? That was the worst thing she could think of.

“Well, I’ll look over the files and get them back to you.” Kakashi carefully reached over and picked up the hefty files -Yup, they definitely weighed over five pounds- and then began to walk towards the door.

Before he could leave though Tsunade called out to him. “Kakashi?”

“Yes Tsunade baba?” Kakashi stilled and pivoted on his right leg to look back at her heavy shoulders and almost gray complexion.

“We have to find those kids. Not just for them, but for Iruka sensei too. If we don’t save them this would crush Iruka sensei, and I don’t know if even _you_ could drag him out of that kind of despair.”

Kakashi paused. His mind was stuck on that last sentence of what Tsunade just said. ‘even you’, ‘even _you_ ’, ‘even _YOU_.’ He didn’t know 2 words could hold such a heavy weight. He swallowed dryly, the saliva sticking to his throat thickly, a sour taste in his mouth. Still he tried to speak reassuringly, but only came up with “I know…” If only he could offer her more assurance. God knows they both needed a little light to glimpse at the end of this tunnel. And with one last respectful nod Kakashi left feeling worse than when he went in. But at least he had something productive to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this chapter!!! if you are wondering why the plot development seems so sudden it is partially because I had had writers block, and partly because I wanted it to mirror Kakashi's sense of having been in the dark about things. and now suddenly becoming aware of HOW MUCH HE DIDN'T KNOWWWWW. So yeah. that's why.
> 
> Oh and if you are wondering when this takes place in the naruto timeline, it's towards the earlier days when Naruto is off training with Jiraiya. 
> 
> Let me know how you're feeling about the story so far! I haven't heard a peep out of you guys for a couple chapters now! *cries* I like talking to my readers! The interaction makes it more meaningful!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THIS chapter is almost 3,000 words. way longer than my usual chapter lengths. YOU'RE WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> And also, I'm kinda sorry, this chapter has some major ups and downs!
> 
> Hope you enjoy it anyway!!!

Nothing added up.

First of all, the case files were a MESS. But worst of all was the fact that there were so many kidnappings in _general_. The folder wasn’t so much detailed as it was plentiful. The list of missing children was well into the hundreds. A sad weight of hopelessness settled on Kakashi’s room as he read the files. With each page he flipped over was another face staring up at him – usually smiling- but he knew that wherever they were, they were not smiling, and that based on the dates on some of these reports that they were probably dead by now.

If Kakashi was going to find any leads, it wasn’t going to be in this mess of depression. So instead he decided he would head over to the school location listed in Iruka’s accident report, and poke around there for clues. There had to be something. But first, he needed a very specific _nose_. A ninken nose.

-

“You want me to _what_?!” Karuba piped up, feeling a tad off guard by the sudden request.

Kakashi shushed him, glancing back at Iruka’s window briefly to make sure he wasn’t watching. Kakashi then picked up the tennis ball again and bounced it high into the air for Karuba to catch with a flying leap on its way down. “I just want your help doing a little sniffing at the school. I’m trying to help Tsunade baba gather some leads on Iruka’s attack, and the kidnappings.”

Karuba landed with a padded thud and spat out the ball to free his mouth. “Well, I figured that much out, I’m no five dollar hound you know! What I meant was why are you keeping this from Iruka? Wouldn’t it be better to go as the three of us? Besides, he trusts you; wouldn’t this be like, a huge invasion of that trust?” Karuba panted lightly.

Kakashi was quiet for a moment, he knew that it could be hurtful to Iruka if he did this alone, but he thought it would be worth it if they produced at least ONE clue for them to go on. “No, I think that going there would be hard on him, not to mention risky if they are keeping an eye on him. If they spot him heading back to the school, then they may try to get rid of him for good.”

“Not with you and I around they probably wouldn’t. And if they did, wouldn’t that be the perfect opportunity to figure out who they are? I could sniff em’ out if I get a good wiff!” Karuba sat up straight, looking proud of himself.

“I still don’t think that-“ Kakashi began, but was cut off by a looming angry presence. He whipped to his left and threw a shuriken at the bushes where the chakra was coming from. But instead of an attack, a man stood up from the bush clutching the shuriken between his fingers.

“Don’t think that what, Kakashi? Hmm?” Iruka straightened up and began to take deliberate steps towards Kakashi. The atmosphere changed, feeling a bit electrified with anger, but most terrifying of all was the smile on Iruka’s face. It was such a stark contrast to Iruka’s usual demeanor. Kakashi shuddered.

“I, um…” Kakashi floundered for an out. But finding none he decided to change his tactic. “Gosh sensei, when did you get in that bush?” Kakashi took a step back as Iruka neared him, still holding his shuriken.

“Oh, since the beginning. What? You didn’t think I could sneak up on you? I’ve been training. Relentlessly. For _months_. Even Karuba missed my presence.” Iruka glanced down at Karuba who decided that he should defend himself, for fear of being locked in cahoots with Kakashi’s scheme.

“No I didn’t! I noticed you from the start, but I preferred to let Kakashi dig his own grave.” Karuba took a step away from Kakashi and sat back down, having successfully folded his cards and decided to be a spectator.

Kakashi eyed Karuba with daggers -That little shit was never on his side anymore. He should have known- but he quickly turned his eyes back towards Iruka, who was speaking again.

“And lay in it apparently.” Iruka spat as he suddenly shoved the shuriken flat against Kakashi’s vest. “I’m not weak you know! I may be sensitive, and blind, but I have the will of fire just like everyone else who’s bled for this village! I’m insulted that you think I wouldn’t be able to handle something like this!”

Kakashi reached up to where Iruka’s hand was on his chest and removed the shuriken with one hand, sliding it into his pouch before taking Iruka’s hand and holding it there against his chest. “Iruka, I’ve never doubted your fighting spirit, or your resolve to see this through to the end, I just wanted to make things easier for you. I didn’t want you to get stressed out. I know this has been hard on you from the very beginning…”

Iruka shook his head and when he looked at Kakashi it was like a dam was opening, and the emotions that burst out suddenly didn’t show any sign of stopping. “No. You know what’s the hardest about this whole, stupid, messed up scenario!?” Iruka pinched his eyes shut, a damp line of welling tears quivered along his eyelashes. “The fact that I’ve been side-lined. That Tsunade, the school, the whole village, and now you, take pity on me. Everyone keeps saying that I’m still a shinobi, but that’s not how I’m treated anymore. In the market I’m given hand out’s like I’m some beggar! My students send me letters saying ‘get well soon’ that I can’t even see! But they don’t know that their sensei is never going to get better, because my eyes will never see again. And the only thing I want to do is find those kidnappers, beat them senseless and save those kids. But no one wants to even let me in on the case. And on top of all that, I’m not even a teacher anymore, which was like the only thing I was actually _really_ good at! So yeah, maybe you’re right. I can’t handle it. If by ‘it’ you mean doing nothing. That’s all I’ve been doing. Nothing worth a damn, just training for a goal that may not even be a possibility. But I need to help, Kakashi. I have to play some kind of role, because if I can even help a little bit with saving those kids, then maybe it won’t feel like I’m so worthless. Because I do feel worthless, and that’s why I feel like Karuba deserves that headband around his neck so much more than I do. And that’s why it’s so painful to be called sensei anymore, and why being told I could be a shinobi again hurts, because… I never really felt like my heart stopped being one. I still want to protect my village and to do my part. So next time you make a plan to do some heroics, try and- j-just, try to keep that in mind, okay?”

Iruka’s words started to break apart towards the end, and all the while Iruka had struggled to take his hand away from Kakashi to try and wipe away the tears that had begun to flow from his brown eyes like rivers. But Kakashi didn’t let him go. He knew that if he had, Iruka would have retreated in on himself, and the connection would have been gone. And more than anything right now he wanted to be there for Iruka. He knew that the sensei had been suffering in silence, but that wasn’t really something Kakashi could have forced out of him. It had to be on Iruka’s terms, and when he felt comfortable opening up. But damn, Kakashi did not expect this. For it to be this much, and all at once. He thought, perhaps Iruka would open up to him a bit at a time. Not like an explosion. Still, Kakashi felt relieved now that Iruka had let it all out, and confided in him all his worries. Now they could work to move forward together. Kakashi gave Iruka’s hand a small squeeze and tipped his head a bit to try and see Iruka’s expression.

Iruka’s hand squeezed into a fist under Kakashi’s warm palm, and he leaned forward, shakily setting his forehead against Kakashi’s shoulder ever so slightly. Iruka took a few sob heavy breaths, calming himself, even though hot tears still streamed down his cheeks. Kakashi gently wrapped his other arm around Iruka’s shoulder, and in the midst of their moment, Karuba shuffled closer and stood underneath the two of them, nuzzling Iruka’s palm that was hanging down at his side. Iruka’s hand absentmindedly brushed the fur in a calming manner, and Kakashi nuzzled his face in the crook of Iruka’s neck. Kakashi closed his eyes and they all just stood there, gently swaying in place for a bit. Kakashi didn’t know what to say. ‘I’m sorry’ felt wrong, ‘it’s all going to be okay’ wasn’t guaranteed, and cracking a joke clearly was suicide. So perhaps silence was the most calming and reassuring way for them to communicate in this moment. It felt right. It felt….. comfortable.

After some time the two pulled apart, Iruka wiping his face with his black sleeve, and then patted Kakashi’s shoulder, and let out a brief sigh, finding the expected wet spot from where his tears had absorbed into Kakashi’s shoulder. “Sorry. I’m a mess. God, see? This is what happens when I don’t have something more productive to do with my time and energy. I worry too much and just…. GaaaAAAhHHHhhh!” Iruka made a noise of exasperation and gestured with his hands as he kept wiping his red blotchy face, trying to erase the evidence of his meltdown.

Kakashi chuckled and wiped a particularly goopy spot on Iruka’s cheek away with his thumb. “It’s okay.” Kakashi said honestly. “I love me a good melt down once and a while too.” Kakashi held the glob down towards the ground and Karuba lapped it up excitedly. Dogs were gross sometimes, but they made good garbage disposals. Or in this case, booger disposals.

After Iruka had mostly recovered, Karuba padded up to him and tried to shove his ball into Iruka’s hand, in an attempt to cheer him up, but Iruka felt one drop of saliva and yanked his hand away in shock. “Karuba! NO! Get that icky ball away from me! Gross!”

Karuba let the ball drop with a sudden thwap and barked a couple times before saying “Hey, that’s rude. I don’t call that lone slimy sock under your mattress ‘gross’ do I?” Iruka and Kakashi both went bug eyed at once.

“Why do all grown men have just ONE sock under their mattresses anyway? It’s so weird. Why not just throw it out and get a new one.” Karuba stomped away with his ball in tow and then waited a few paces away for the two to catch on and follow him inside. It was supper time.

Iruka was speechless.

Kakashi, however, was not. “A slimy old sock, huh?” Kakashi chuckled and elbowed Iruka in the side playfully before prancing away on his tip toes when Iruka swung his fist at him in retaliation.

“Just you zip it! He said _every._ SO that must mean you have one too! You PERVERT!!!” Iruka’s face filled with red from bottom to top in an instant. And he chased after Kakashi frantically, fuming with embarrassment.

“Taaaakes one to knooooow one, sensei!” Kakashi guffawed as he dodged Iruka’s half hearted smacks, then caught one of Iruka’s left hooks and pulled Iruka into a almost ballroom style half dip. Stopping Iruka mid stumble and whispered in the sensei’s ear. “And speaking of knowing one, maybe we should give the socks a break once and awhile? Eh? Make it a date. What do you say?”

Kakashi let his breath tickle Iruka’s ear, and could even feel the heat emanating off of the flustered teacher.

“I- You! Ohhhh…. Fuck you, you’re smooth.” Iruka mumbled in a daze and pryed his hands free just to reach up and-

“Wait. Iruka. Not outside please.” Kakashi interrupted just as Iruka’s fingertips hooked over the top of his mask.

“Oh. Right. I’m sorry. I just kind of got caught up in the moment…” Iruka cleared his throat and Kakashi moved to stand them both back up.

“That’s all right. I’ll just have you make it up to me later.” Kakashi stated, his eye crinkling in a happy teasing crescent.

“Sex addict.” Iruka huffed and started to make his way around the house to meet up with Karuba who was running in circles. Karuba knew when he needed to make himself scarce. Thank goodness for that.

“Actually….” Kakashi drawled. “You’d be surprised how lacking my experience is in that particular area.” Kakashi shyly admitted with a faint blush dusting his cheeks.

“Seriously?” Iruka gasped. “I guess I’ll be the judge of that later.” Iruka smirked and then really turned to walk to the front yard.

“Later?!” Kakashi practically glowed upon hearing that. “Oh, I can’t wait until after dinner then. Can we just skip dinner then? I want Iruka for desert!” Kakashi joked and quickened his gait to follow close behind Iruka, hovering just behind his left shoulder, peeking at the sensei hopefully.

“You seriously want to skip pork cutlet bowls and sake?” Iruka questioned sarcastically.

Kakashi pouted. He did love Iruka’s pork cutlet bowls, and sake would make their later escapades more interesting. “Okay, fine. Dinner and then desert, but can we get a baby sitter for Karuba this time? I’m tired of being ‘quiet’ all the time.”

“Oh my god! Do you have to say it out LOUD like that?! Part of the reason I say to be quiet is because the neighbors might hear! I have a reputation to uphold.”

“And you will! If I scream out loud enough, they may just think you’re reprimanding me with your dominatingly impressive teachery-ness. And everyone’s a winner!” Kakashi was practically exploding with excitement. Later could not come fast enough.

“You’re making it worse. Oh my god, please just shut up or I’m not going to do a damn thing with you!” Iruka covered his face and stomped up the porch steps as Karuba rocketed past them, not even paying any attention to the conversation, as he rarely listened to the two of them when they bantered back and forth. Quite frankly Karuba felt like a kid listening to his parents flirt. Yucky.

“Come onnnn you two. Supper time was like 20 minutes ago! I’m hungry!” Karuba poked his head out through the doggy door and barked.

“Yes, yes, Karuba. I’m right here. Now back up so I can open the door or you’re going to be a Gai-style pancake 2.0.”

Kakashi looked down at Karuba as he bolted back inside. “A gai-style what now?! What the hell did he do to my dog in 1.0???” Kakashi rushed in ahead of Iruka and bent down to pet his precious ninken doggy. “My poor boy. What did my rival do to you?!”

“He almost smashed me with the door when he came barreling in. That man has no house manners!”

“Says the dog who tracked mud into the house AGAIN!” interjected Iruka who was currently sliding his bare foot over a muddy patch on his hard wood floors that he had just cleaned earlier that day.

“Oh crap…” Karuba whispered and started to back away from Kakashi and head outside to wipe his paws on the welcome mat.

“Kakashi, could you please help our _furry son_ clean his paws properly. Apparently he needs a refresher course. In the meantime I will prepare supper. Please try not to wreck my house in the process. I’m serious. I don’t need another late night cleaning unidentified sticky objects off of my walls. Not when I have a hot date planned for later.” And with that Iruka winked and spun around on a dime. His pony tail flapping wildly before he carefully marched around the corner and into the kitchen.

Kakashi watched him, mesmerized and then spun on the balls of his feet to peer out of the house at Karuba. Guess he had some time to kill until supper then. Karuba had taken the heat off of him. Lucky him.

“Dogs really are man’s best friend.” Kakashi stated to himself and then stood up to go outside and help Karuba clean up.

And later he would have a wonderful night of adult fun. How today had managed to turn into a happy ending was beyond Kakashi, but he wasn’t going to argue with a bit of happiness. They needed the break. They had both earned one. At least for a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooookay, so if anyone would be willing to comment or leave me a message about a more in depth analysis on my characterizations, I would really appreciate it! Because I try really hard to not make them too needy, or weak, or girly. Because these men are both really capable, strong, shinobi, who have done a lot for their village in different ways. And I don't want them to come off as weaker just because they are falling in love with each other. I want them to still be strong, and independent, while also being able to trust and rely on one another. So, I want them to seem.... balanced, I guess.
> 
> Anyway, Hope you are all loving the plot as it progresses!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You guys are gonna LOVE ME after this chapter. It's a jumbo one!!! Nearly 4,000 words. Of which nearly 3,000 words are smuttttttt!!!! you're welcome!!!
> 
> Enjoy!!!! Things will slowly start to get more plot/angst serious in a while, so stock up on feel goods now while we still got em!!!

Kakashi began washing up dishes while Iruka herded Karuba in order to have him gather his toys and things for an overnight at Kiba’s place. Who’d have thought that he’d be contacting a previous student to be a dog sitter?

“Okay now, you’ve gotta drop at least 2 of those balls because you have 3 in your mouth and there is no reason you need 3 in the first place. This is a one night outing, you’ll be home in the afternoon for Kami’s sake! Take. The bare. Minimum!” Iruka clapped his hands as punctuation and sighed.

Karuba whined and spat out the balls. He sniffed them a bit before picking the grossest one of the lot to bring with him and then raced to the window bracing his front paws on the sill as he watched Kiba approach with Akamaru. Karuba let out a loud muffled woof and wagged his tail quickly. As soon as Akamaru barked back he ran to the door and pranced impatiently for Iruka to open the door so they could come in.

Of course as soon as the door opened Iruka hid himself behind the door tightly as 8 excited paws and two scandal clad feet danced around excitedly greeting one another. Iruka let the three have their moment as they hadn’t all seen each other in quite awhile. And Kakashi stood in the doorway, apron and dishtowel on hand as he dried one last glass before pouring himself a stiff drink. Watching the chaos ensue in Iruka’s cramped living room.

Iruka smiled despite the tension that emanated off of him. Understandable since he had so many breakable trinkets around his home. Albeit quite a few less ever since Karuba and Kakashi had come around. Whether they were broken because of the two, or broken ON the two, was a horse a piece.

Soon the hype died down and Kiba greeted Kakashi with a short nod and a snicker before walking over to Iruka. “I see you have BOTH of them trained pretty well, sensei. Let me know how you managed that sometime would you? I’m impressed.”

“Oi. I’d love to see you rocking an apron as well as I do, Kiba san!” Kakashi chimed in from the kitchen doorway as he pet Akamaru, who barely fit in the narrow hall. Karuba was still dancing around between Kiba and his fuzzy friend.

“I haven’t even worn and apron in this life time, and I don’t want to start!” Kiba chuckled and turned back to Iruka. “So, got a doggy bag for the pooch?” Kiba grinned a toothy grin and Iruka smiled back, lifting a bag that weighed double what he had wanted it to.

“Yes, I do. Unfortunately, my ninken doesn’t understand the term ‘light packing’. So, if you end up with any extra toys after tonight, just keep em’. Because I warned Karuba he’s responsible for keeping track of them.” Iruka stated firmly and turned in Karuba’s direction, giving him a stern look. Kakashi would never get over how well he did his eye contact expressions despite his lack of vision.

Kiba nodded and looked at Karuba in resignation. “Hmm. Dad makes the rules, sorry pupper, better keep good track of them toys tonight!” Kiba shrugged and grabbed the bag, grunting a bit as he swung it over his shoulder, then whistled and turned for the door. “All right. Call me tomorrow when you want your boy back.” Kiba hopped onto Akamaru’s back and Karuba trotted next to Kiba, tail practically wagging off of his behind. Kiba waved and set out full throttle, Karuba easily keeping pace with the two, despite Akamaru being MUCH larger.

Kakashi stood next to Iruka in the doorway and let out a slow whistle as he watched the three go. “Wow. If you could have SEEN that dust cloud they kicked up. Holy cow, I can’t even see them anymore, they are booking it! Karuba’s really something, isn’t he?”

Iruka smiled fondly. “He sure is…” Iruka said and backed into the house, grabbing Kakashi by the knot of his apron as he dipped inside. “Time for desert, mister impatient.” Iruka said like butter and Kakashi stepped back into the house, pushing the door shut and locked it before Iruka took him even further from the windows and door. Kakashi went to untie the apron but Iruka stopped him. “Uh-uh. Everything off EXCEPT the Apron.” Iruka said low and gravelly. Then as an afterthought as he dropped to his knees: “Kiba gave me an idea.” Iruka said and smirked. Sliding his hands around Kakashi’s waist, the coarse fabric guided his fingertips to the cool metal buttons and he lowered the zipper quite quickly in his excitement. Kakashi’s brow knit into an impatiently complex jumble of excitement and yearning. He didn’t know whether to rush in, or take his time. He wanted to do both, and right now Iruka was taking the lead. Which had frozen him in place, a captive participant in what was certainly going to be a wonderful night.

Kakashi finally found his voice. “What kind of idea?” And as Iruka pulled up Kakashi’s black apron his brown eyes darted up paired with a smirk before he ducked under the apron, his wet tongue meeting hot flesh there at the head. Kakashi tensed with a gasp, his left hand shot out, touching the top of Iruka’s covered head through the fabric. “Oh my god… fuck…..” Kakashi spat loudly as Iruka licked up the shaft, his hands moving the pants down his legs, and fondling different parts of him as Iruka’s tongue did ungodly heavenly things to his cock.

Iruka then pushed the bottom hem of Kakashi’s shirt up from under the apron ties and Kakashi somehow managed to have enough forethought to then pull the rest of his shirt up and over his head, leaving the apron on as it was. Kakashi looked down, only able to see Iruka’s legs, elbows, and parts of his back from underneath the large lump beneath the apron fabric. He wanted to peek, _so bad_. But he knew half of the fun was not being able to. So instead he began to rub Iruka’s back and massaged his shoulders. Then as the intensity built, his length hard and twitching, Kakashi slid his hand under the apron, and grabbed hold of Iruka’s ponytail, quickly matching his rhythm as his mouth slid up and down the shaft. Iruka moaned at the tight fist in his hair, and Kakashi felt it all the way through his body.

“Oh god, Iruka, I’m gonna-“ Kakashi closed his eyes and tilted his head back. But before he could come, Iruka pushed back against Kakashi’s grip and popped off of Kakashi’s cock, appearing suddenly. “Not….yet….” Iruka panted wetly, his mouth covered in dripping saliva and pre-come. Iruka’s hands continued to keep Kakashi erect, although Kakashi couldn’t help the small pathetic whimper of denied orgasm from leaving his lips. Iruka’s eyes were damp from the intensity of which he had been sucking him off, and Kakashi was incredibly turned on by the hot mess that Iruka was turning into.

But before Kakashi could even fully recover from his wobbly knees, Iruka began to stand and pull him down the hall to the kitchen. Iruka walked backwards, and must have been mentally counting the steps because he knew exactly where to turn to end up backing himself against the dining room table. “Desert in the kitchen first…. And then….. I plan on doing it with you in every. single. room. in the house. by the end of the night.” Iruka slyly stated as he kicked off his pants and sat on the table straddling Kakashi.

Kakashi momentarily did the math, counting the rooms as he helped Iruka pull off his shirt and tossed it to the floor unceremoniously. That would be 3, 4…. “Wait… do closets, and the balcony count?” Kakashi inquired, his pitch rising at the end. Iruka nodded.

“Uh-huh, and I intend to include the front lawn once it’s late enough for no one to be awake.” Iruka toyed with Kakashi’s hipbones and his chest. His legs pulling Kakashi even closer to his eager body.

“Oh my god, we’re gonna be up all night… that’s at least 9 times if we cover all of those places!” Kakashi moaned and leaned forward kissing Iruka, desire finally burning him from inside. Kakashi then curled down over Iruka, yanking his legs in order to pose him on the edge of the table.

“Why do you think I said we’d be getting Karuba in the _afternoon_?” Iruka said around kisses as Kakashi stroked Iruka’s half hard cock a few times before reaching up to wet his hand and begin prepping Iruka for the first round of deserts.

“This is gonna be so god damn fun.” Kakashi grunted as he rubbed his cock alongside of Iruka’s while he slid a finger inside.

Iruka craned his neck and arched his back. “Hnnn..” Iruka groaned softly and clenched Kakashi’s bicep with one hand while his other cupped Kakashi’s cheek, reading his expressions with his fingertips. Kakashi’s mouth gaped and his lips felt hot where Iruka had already bitten them.

“You bite pretty hard, sensei.” Kakashi said licking his lip where the redness swelled. Iruka’s finger swept over towards his lips and Kakashi sucked his finger into his mouth sensually, gently nibbling as he focused elsewhere on opening Iruka up.

“Ah- I know I do. I have to bite Karuba back while playing sometimes.. He gets rough sometimes. I think he gets it from _you_.” Iruka teased and rocked his hips onto the second finger that Kakashi was working into him.

“Mmm… that’s sexy. Now I want to wrestle you in the living room as our next stop in this marathon fuck fest.” Kakashi leaned back and knelt down between Iruka’s legs. Kakashi pushed Iruka’s legs up, and Iruka took them, hooking his arms under them, keeping them out of the way. Iruka gasped as Kakashi removed his fingers just to turn them and add a third as he licked and sucked his taint, saliva dripping down onto his fingers, slicking them further as he began to move them faster.

“You bastard, you just want to be the dominant one again. Who said you would be topping in every room?” Iruka hissed as Kakashi twisted his fingers a bit, widening them as he finger fucked Iruka open.

“Well, maybe not in every room, but there’s no way you’re winning a wrestling match with me.” Kakashi chuckled and sucked Iruka’s balls into his mouth.

“Ah, haha. I seem to remember that I already HAVE won one wrestling match against you. So, don’t be so damn, coooooccckkkk-yyyy ohhhhh my god…. Fuck…. Kakashi what did you do?” Iruka trailed off, quickly becoming a puddle of pleasure.

Kakashi grinned. “You’re tight, and talkative, so I just infused a bit of chakra to loosen you up down here, and hopefully shut you up, up there.” Kakashi chuckled deeply. “Besides you only won because you had a hostage.”

“A book… is NOT a hostage, Kakashi!” Iruka spat out between lustful groans as Kakashi thrust his fingers in again and again, filling him with ecstasy.

Kakashi then stood up and aligned himself, stroking his cock a few times and then guided one of Iruka’s hands down to feel the tip of his cock, so he could feel it as it slid into him. “Are you ready for desert, Iruka?” Kakashi asked smugly, and wasn’t disappointed when Iruka snapped at him impatiently.

“Fucking Hell Kakashi, I was ready ages ago, but you just keep insisting on drawing out the fore- oohhhhh woahhhh ohhhhh yeah…… fuck… ah-!” Iruka was cut off by Kakashi sliding into him in a few steady, well lubricated thrusts. “Oh, god Kakashi…” Iruka moaned and lay back, holding his legs. Kakashi leaned forward, bracing his hands on the table on either side of Iruka’s torso. He brought his lips to Iruka’s and kissed him deeply. Iruka breathed in deeply through his nose, and then sighed into the kiss as Kakashi began to draw out before pushing back in a bit more urgently. Iruka hugged his thighs against Kakashi’s sides and cupped his hands on Kakashi’s neck, holding on for dear life as Kakashi began to fuck him slowly. Iruka tucked his head next to Kakashi’s, his breathing already quickening.

“Always make sure to eat your desert slowly, as not to overwhelm your body.” Kakashi whispered and nibbled Iruka’s neck. “Like this.” Kakashi said and ever so slowly pulled out, and then pushed in equally as slow, rocking his hips as he bottomed out inside Iruka. Iruka moaned and gasped, clenching down around Kakashi’s length.

“Fuuuuuck….” Iruka practically begged Kakashi to move faster with his hips. Rocking them hard against Kakashi’s cock. Iruka clawed his fingernails down Kakashi’s back and then gave it a slap. “Ugh! Fuck me you fucker!” Iruka demanded and hugged his ankles behind Kakashi’s back pulling him hard against him.

Kakashi chuckled deviously. “So demanding.” Kakashi reprimanded and reached down to pull one of Iruka’s legs up onto his shoulder. Practically folding Iruka’s leg down onto his own chest. “You want me to fuck you open, Iruka? Is that what you’ve been waiting for? Hmm?” Kakashi sounded like Ibiki interrogating him, trying to torture him into submission. But Iruka wasn’t going to give in just like that. He was the bottom right now, but that didn’t make him the sub.

Despite Kakashi’s words, his pace did increase, whether it was in compliance, or demanded by his own rising desired to climax, wasn’t said aloud, but Iruka was eager for it regardless, and rocked back against Kakashi enthusiastically.

“Ah, yes, just like that. Ah, fuck me! Harder!” Iruka praised Kakashi as he was fucked open, his hole red, and soft. Kakashi did indeed fuck him harder, and the table began to shake with the momentum. Kakashi staggered his arms, one at Iruka’s side, and then he pressed the other one right on Iruka’s pretty neck, choking him firmly, but not crushing him under the weight of his body. He held most of his weight on his other arm.

Iruka gasped and his eyes rolled back with the jumble of pleasure and instinct. He reached up and tore the band from his hair. With the bulk of it released, he was much more comfortable considering that he was laying on a hard table. Kakashi mesmerized released Iruka’s neck at the proper time and moved his hand to comb through the dense brown locks of hair.

“God you’re sexy when you’re a puddle of sex and testosterone….” Kakashi mumbled and slapped Iruka’s ass.

“AH! FUCK!!” Iruka shouted and moaned afterward at the sting. His breathing was ragged and when he went to swallow, his mouth was cotton dry. “M-More….” He finally choked out as he lay clutching the table with both hands.

Kakashi grinned and pinched Iruka’s nipple before slapping his palm across it harshly. A loud resounding fleshy snap was heard, and a red hand shaped mark began to appear on the tanned skin.

“Yes, yes!!” Iruka encouraged, and Kakashi took the momentum that was building and dragged Iruka towards him partly off of the table, and turned him face down, his feet resting on the cool floor. Iruka’s toes curled at the cold, and he pushed his chest up, resting on his elbows for a moment, before Kakashi grabbed his right leg and lifted it onto the table, pinning it there with his large strong palm. And before he knew it Kakashi was inside him again, thrusting in even deeper, his skin slapping against his ass loudly.

Kakashi leaned over Iruka, biting and sucking marks onto his back, shoulders, and neck. Kakashi muttered over and over how sexy Iruka was, and how he wished he could see all the marks he was leaving on him.

Iruka could barely speak, his mouth hanging open, panting and gasping loudly in euphoria. Kakashi tugged Iruka’s torso up towards him, holding him flush against his chest as he penetrated Iruka from behind. Slowly his thrusts were becoming more erratic, and he longed to see Iruka’s expressions again.

So after Iruka’s posture began to sink, Kakashi pulled out and turned him around, setting him briefly on the table before hoisting him up into his arms. Iruka gasped and locked his legs around Kakashi’s waist, holding onto him around the neck and just focused on breathing while Kakashi lowered him onto his length. Iruka sucked in air, his sounds becoming more desperate and erotic with every thrust. It felt like Iruka’s insides were sucking him in even more now. He felt close.

“Iruka. Iruka, look at me.” Kakashi pleaded.

Iruka lifted both his hands to touch Kakashi’s face and Iruka locked his expression onto Kakashi. Iruka smiled between ragged breaths. “I am Kakashi. I can see you. I can- ah! Kakashi!! Right there, I’m coming…! Ahn!”

Kakashi kept his eyes locked on Iruka’s as sweat trickled down his brow, blurring his vision. But it didn’t matter. He knew Iruka’s face, just as Iruka knew his. And neither of them needed eyes to see one another, not in order to truly see each other. They saw each other with their hearts and souls. And nothing could rob them of that sight. The truest, and clearest sight imaginable, is love. And though some say that love may be blind, Kakashi felt that it was also honest, and pure, and clearer than any seeing eyes could ever comprehend. And in that way, neither of them would ever be blind again.

Kakashi clung to Iruka and kissed him like he was giving him his entire life. And with an almost tearful gasp Kakashi also came, hard, and shakily, inside of Iruka, before slowly lowering him to the table and practically laying on top of his desert, right there, in the kitchen. Butt naked.

“Oh my god, you are heavy right now. How much did you eat at dinner?” Iruka grunted and tried to shove him off a little.

Kakashi rolled over and lay his weight on the table, it creaked angrily at him, but he didn’t care. “Oh, that’s not dinner making me heavy. It’s all that desert I just had. It took a lot more out of me than I expected….” He said and wiped his forehead, his bangs sticking to his face messily.

Iruka rolled to his side and plopped his hand on Kakashi’s chest. “We still have 8 more deserts to go? How are you gonna manage?!” Iruka chuckled tiredly.

“Speak for yourself. You look like you need a break too!” Kakashi panted and made a mental note to turn up the air conditioning when he regained his land legs in a few minutes.

But before either of them could fully relax…

*C-CRACK!!!*

The middle pegs holding the tables extra leaf in place cracked suddenly under the weight of two full grown men and collapsed with both of the shinobi fully unprepared for their sudden decent onto the cold flooring.

“Holy FUCK!” Iruka shouted and he guarded his face.

“Oh SHIT!” Kakashi said and his arms shot out to try and break his fall. And then lay there stunned silent for a moment before saying: “T-the damn table broke….. just like that….”

“It… gave up.” Iruka said, miffed. Although, it was only a cheaply bought table from a rummage sale… so he supposed the quality may have been lacking.

Then the both of them began to laugh for awhile. Good hearty laughter that made their abs hurt because one should never laugh quite so hard immediately after exerting so much energy, especially when abs are so greatly involved in the actions. Kakashi eventually groaned and sat up, helping Iruka out from the wreckage.

“Damn…. How am I gonna explain why I need a new table?” Iruka said feeling the utterly destroyed wood.

“You don’t?” Kakashi said shrugging. “People get new tables, it’s just a piece of furniture. What’s so odd about that?”

Iruka sighed. “No, I mean, when I put this out on the curb on garbage day. People will ask questions when they see a SNAPPED table, ya know?”

“Oh.” Kakashi unhelpfully said and trailed off.

Iruka merely sighed.

“Oh well. I can blame it on you and the dog rough housing, like I usually do…” Iruka said and tied his hair back.

“Like you USUALLY do?!” Kakashi gasped. “I am OFFENDED, Iruka. How could you blame an innocent dog, and a mostly usually innocent highly ranked shinobi!?”

“Oh pleaseeeeeeeee. You two are the perfect scape goats and you know it!” Iruka said and rolled his eyes.

At that remark, Kakashi paused like a lightbulb had gone off in his mind just then. Kakashi went a bit pale as something clicked in his mind, and he was very glad Iruka could not see his face just then, because he quickly pushed the thought aside for later processing and cross checking documents once he was not more currently occupied and on a DATE NIGHT.

Besides, at that very next moment Iruka was plopping on the sofa and whistling for him to come closer. One finger waggling to coax him into the room. Kakashi smiled and began to saunter into the living room. He loved cuddle time between rounds. It was always nice. And Iruka would usually drift off for a bit, and Kakashi would then read a chapter or two of Icha Icha, and then get rid of his resulting hard-on by rousing his sleeping partner who always happily relieved him of his little problem.

Everything was better with Iruka around. Kakashi very much thought he might be in love for keeps. But regardless, he didn’t feel any need to rush. Everything was as it should be. And Kakashi was very happy with that. 

\-------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love me. I haven't been getting much feed back lately, and it's kind of making me lose energy to write! Help boost my creative talents by telling me what you like or don't like. Really, anything at all makes me happy to hear about! 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me over the years! I know this fic is getting quite long... I'm not really sure how long it's gonna end up being, even though I have all the stuff planned out. Although I'm happy with the pacing so I'm just gonna keep on rollin'!


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